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Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H 2 O.It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, [c] and nearly colorless chemical substance.It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a solvent [20]).
A molecule may be homonuclear, that is, it consists of atoms of one chemical element, e.g. two atoms in the oxygen molecule (O 2); or it may be heteronuclear, a chemical compound composed of more than one element, e.g. water (two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom; H 2 O).
The polarized form of the water molecule, H + OH −, is also called hydron hydroxide by IUPAC nomenclature. [106] Water substance is a rare term used for H 2 O when one does not wish to specify the phase of matter (liquid water, water vapor, some form of ice, or a component in a mixture) though the term water is also used with this general ...
This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms.It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions from sub-disciplines and related fields, see Glossary of cell biology, Glossary of genetics, Glossary of evolutionary biology, Glossary of ecology ...
The term 'molecular biology' was first used in 1945 by the English physicist William Astbury, who described it as an approach focused on discerning the underpinnings of biological phenomena—i.e. uncovering the physical and chemical structures and properties of biological molecules, as well as their interactions with other molecules and how ...
Since then, water continues to be the most abundant molecule in every organism. Water is important to life because it is an effective solvent , capable of dissolving solutes such as sodium and chloride ions or other small molecules to form an aqueous solution .
A classic example is when water molecules arrange around a metal ion. If the metal ion is a cation, the electronegative oxygen atom of the water molecule would be attracted electrostatically to the positive charge on the metal ion. The result is a solvation shell of water molecules that surround the ion.
A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions , but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice , and gaseous state ( water vapor or steam ).