Important properties of water
-Cohesion is attraction to other water molecules, is the hydrogen bonds in water hold other water molecules together. This allows surface tension. Also allows water to be liquid at room temperatures, and not a gas.
-Adhesion of water is adhesive to any molecule it can form hydrogen bonds.This allows capillary action to occur.
-Water has high-specific heat The hydrogen bonds between water molecules absorb the heat and release heat as bonds are broken or formed, this minimizes temperature changes. Water can maintain moderate temperature change allowing organisms to survive.
-Water's high heat of evaporation is the evaporation of water off a surface causes a cooling effect.
-The lower density of ice is formed by hydrogen bonds that allows ice to be in crystal-like shape, which is less dense than water an this allows ice to float.
-Water by forming hydrogen bonds make it a powerful solvent.
Structure and Function
Chemistry of Life
Large central vacuole is a cavity within the cytoplasm of a cell, surrounded by a "stretching" single membrane or tonoplast and containing fluid, food, or metabolic waste.
The large central vacuole is an organelle found in plant cells. Central vacuoles are formed from merging of small vacuoles. The following are functions of the large central vacuole:
-The vacuole are storage for ions, proteins, amino acids, and sugars.
-It is also a disposal site for wastes and metabolic by-products.
-Vacuoles can contain color pigments, providing coloration to the plant.
-Vacuoles also function like the lysosome in animal cells, and digest organic compounds.
-The vacuole is filled with water, so when it is enlarges it increases the turgor pressure of the cell, this maintain the sturdiness of the plant.
-Some protists have contractile vacuoles for pumping water out of the cell. The contractile vacuole is essential for osmoregulation which allows the organism to control the concentration of salts and other molecules in the cell.