Chaptere 2

Water: The Solvent for

Biochemical Reactions
• Water is one of the most important known chemicals.
• 1/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and the human body
is approximately 50% water.
• The large intestine absorbs water—about 6 liters (1.6 gallons) daily.
 Total water loss/day

1. Loss through breath---- 800 mL

2. Minimal sweat loss----- 100 mL
3. Fecal loss------------------200 mL
4. Minimal urine loss--------500 mL
Total: 1600 mL
Water has a number of roles in living organisms:

• solvent
• temperature buffer
• metabolite
• living environment
Water is essential in the process of;

• Digestion
• Circulation
• Elimination of wastes
• Regulation of body temperature

Water also takes part in some metabolic

reactions, for example, in Hydrolysis
and Condensation reactions.
Normally, in the body, our water intake should be
equal to water going out.
• If the water in take is greater than water going out --
--it is referred as EDEMA .
Edema is the accumulation of excess fluid in any
body tissue, cavity, or organ, except bone.

• If the water in take is less than the water going out –

it is referred as DEHYDRATION (loss of body fluid).
 The Hydrogen bonding

Hydrogen bonds form between these

molecules because the negative ends of the
molecules are attracted to the positive ends
of other molecules, and vice versa. Hydrogen
bonding makes water form a liquid at room
temperature. Hydrogen can be covalently
bond to Fluorine (F), Oxygen (O), and
nitrogen (N)
The properties of water
1. Polarity

When electrons are not shared equally in a covalent bond, the

molecule is described as polar. Water molecules are polar.
 Solvent properties of water
The polar nature of water, with its partially positive and
partially negative dipole, allows it to dissolve charged
molecules (ions) easily. Water is an excellent solvent for
charged compounds. Polar compounds dissolve polar
liquids and non-polar compounds dissolve with non-polar
solvents, so likes dissolves like. Non-polar cpds. Don’t
dissolve on polar solvents
Ex. HCl is polar molecule ; Oil is a non-polar
HCl is more soluble in H2O and oil is not bec oil are
hydrophobic(water fearing-subs that hate water)
 Property of water

2. Capillary Action
Cohesion of water causes capillary attraction, which is the
ability of water to move upward in small spaces.
Property of water
3. Density
Another property of water is
density during phase changes.
The density of most substances
increases when a liquid
becomes a solid. Solid water is
actually less dense than liquid
water. It is for this reason that
ice floats.
•
 Property of water
3. Surface Tension
• All liquids have surface tension – the attraction between
molecules that, on the surface of a liquid, causes the liquid
to behave as if it had a thin skin. Surface tension, for
example, is why water drops on a slick surface will “bead”
up.
4. Conductivity
• Pure water is actually a good insulator (poor
conductor), meaning that it does not conduct
electricity well. Because water is such a good solvent,
however, it often has some solute dissolved in it, most
frequently salt. If water has such impurities, then it
can conduct electricity much better, because
impurities such as salt comprise free ions in aqueous
solution by which an electric current can flow.
5. Reactivity
• Water is amphoteric: able to act as an acid or base
• Water can act as either an acid or a base in reactions
• pure water has a pH of 7.
Acids and Bases
• Acids are refers to as proton donor because it yields
hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.
• Bases are refers to as proton acceptor because it yields
hydroxide ions (OH¯ ) when dissolve in water.
• Most of the acidic and basic substances encountered in
biochemistry are weak acids or weak bases.
• WATER – can act as an ACID and as a BASE (amphiprotic)
Normal pH of blood
• pH 7.3-7.45
• Below this value is called ACIDOSIS
• Above this value is called alkalosis
• Changes in pH below 6.8 and above 8 may result in
death
acidosis
• In acidosis, the pH of the blood is abnormally low. Acidosis is
associated with diabetic ketoacidosis, lung disease, and
severe kidney disease. An increase in the acidity of blood
plasma to below the normal range of pH 7.3-7.45, resulting
from a loss of the buffering capacity of the plasma.
Alkalosis
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Other symptoms can
include irritability, twitching, confusion, and picking at bedclothes.
Rapid heart rate, irregular heart beats, and a drop in blood pressure
are also symptoms. Severe cases can lead to convulsions and coma.
• Treatment; injection of potassium chloride or sodium chloride in the
body.
 Buffer in the blood
•
The Acid-Base properties of water
Water is a unique solvent. One of its ability is to act both as
an the ionization of equilibrium water:
Kw= [H +] [OH¯]
for neutral water ,the keq is =1 x 10¯ 14
and the concentrations of [H +] and [OH¯] are acid and as a
base.
H2O + H2O ↔ H30+ + OH¯
Acid (1) + Base (2)⇄Acid (2) + Base (1)

This ionization creates a H30+ and a OH¯

molecule. The H30+ is written as H +
H2O ↔ H + + OH¯
The equilibrium constant, Kw describes each
1 x 10¯ 7 M or 0.0000001 M
pH
• Definition:
• Measures acidity or alkalinity of water soluble substances (pH stands
for 'potential of Hydrogen'). A pH value is a number from 1 to 14, with
7 as the middle (neutral) point. Values below 7 indicate acidity which
increases as the number decreases, 1 being the most acidic. Values
above 7 indicate alkalinity which increases as the number increases,
14 being the most alkaline.
pH scale
Basic

pH=7 neutral

Acidic
pH in living systems
• Compartment pH
• Gastric acid 2-1
• Lysosomes 4.5
• Granules of chromaffin cells 5.5
• Human skin 5.5
• Urine 6.0
• Pure H2O at 37 °C 6.81- 7
• Cytosol 7.2
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 7.5
• Blood 7.34–7.45
• Mitochondrial matrix 7.5
• Pancreas secretions 8.1
For the concentration of [H +] is the pH . The pH of a
solution is simply the negative logarithm of [H +] and
pOH is the negative logarithm of [OH¯] .

• The pH scale below 7 is acidic

• pH 7 is neutral
• pH above 7 is basic.
• pH of blood is 7.4
Computation for:
pH= - log (H+)

pOH= - log (OH¯ )

pH + pOH = 14
 Sample problem
• Scientific calculator:
Use
• Calculate the pH for a specific [H+]. Calculate pH given
[H+] = 1.4 x 10-5 M
• pH = -log[H+]
pH = -log (1.4 x 10-5)
pH = 4.85
 Use the antilog

• Calculate [H+] from a known pH.

• Find [H+] if pH = 8.5
• [H+] = 10-pH
[H+] = 10-8.5
[H+] = 3.2 x 10-9 M
Sample problem no.1
• What is the pH of a solution whose pOH is 11.09?
A] 15.09
B] -11.09
C] 25.09
D] 2.91
Sample problem no.2
• What is the pH of a solution whose [H+] is 2.75 x 10-4 M?
A] 3.56
B] 3.636 x 10-11
C] 3.64
D] 10.44
Sample problem no.3
• What is the [H+] of a solution whose
• pOH = 2.86 ?
A] 1.38 x 10-3 M
B] 7.24 x 10-12 M
C] 724 M
D] 3.50 x 10-15 M
Sample problem no.4
• What is the pOH of a solution whose [H+] is 2.75 x 10-4 M?
A] 3.56
B] 3.64
C] 10.44
D] 3.636 x 10-11
Sample problem no.5
• The pH of a solution is 3.0. What is the [OH-]?
A] 11 M
B] 3M
C] 1 x 10-3 M
D] 1 x 10-11 M