Water - The Elixir of Life

Remember your first Biology lab? The professor had you get a few drops of water from the fish tank and put it under the microscope. What did you see? I remember seeing a lot more than I bargained for! Thinking the water was just that, water, I was surprised to see so much life. There were many small, single celled animals swimming in that brew. It was amazing. The one I remember studying the most was the Protozoa, in particular the Paramecium. It looked like a small oval filled with specks of dust and dirt and surrounded by tiny hairs that helped it move through the water like so many oars on a Viking Ship. Could these tiny drops of life live without water? We know they cannot. Water is the medium of life, the substance in which an organism naturally lives and grows. It constitutes over 70% of our body mass.

Water has many distinct properties that set it apart from other substances and make it critical for life. The chemical reactions in our bodies need a fluid to allow for the movement of large protein molecules into position to react, to fold and unfold, to bring in substrates and take away waste. These reactions use the hydrogen bonds of water to dock the substrates into position for these enzymes to do their thing. All known forms of life depend on water. It is vital both as a solvent in which the body's chemicals dissolve and as an essential part of metabolism within the body. Water allows organic compounds to react in ways that result in the replication of these molecules and the formation of new ones. Water is both removed from molecules in order to grow larger molecules and used to break bonds to generate smaller molecules. The hydration of all sorts of molecules, large and small, is required to make life happen. Without water, these metabolic processes could not exist, with no known processes available to take their place.

To function properly, the human body requires water daily to avoid dehydration; the precise amount depends on the temperature, humidity, and your personal level of activity. Most of this needed water is ingested through foods or beverages other than drinking pure water. About 20 percent of our water intake comes from food, while the rest comes from drinking water and other beverages, including caffeinated ones. Water is excreted from the body through urine and feces, through sweating, and by exhalation of water vapor from the lungs. With physical exertion and heat exposure, water loss will increase and daily fluid needs can increase.

Medical science favors an average daily consumption of approximately one liter of water, excluding extra water needed to replace fluids lost from exercise or warm weather. If your kidneys are healthy, it is difficult to drink too much water, but it is possible and dangerous to drink too little. You can drink far more water than necessary while exercising, however, risking water intoxication which is potentially fatal. The "fact" that a person should consume eight glasses of water per day has no scientific basis. Other myths, such as the effect of water on weight loss and constipation, have also been debunked.

In plants, the capillary action of water draws it to the top of the tallest trees. In most forms of plant life, photosynthetic cells use the sun's energy to split off a hydrogen from water. This hydrogen is then combined with carbon dioxide (CO₂) to form glucose and the reaction releases oxygen back into the air. All living cells then use this glucose, oxidizing the hydrogen and carbon, releasing energy and reforming water and CO₂ in the process. In this way water is integral to the balancing of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In the ocean, water supports all forms of life, from the smallest plankton to the massive blue whale. The transmission of light through the water allows photosynthesis in shallow reefs, while the air dissolved in the water provides oxygen for the fish. Water's high heat capacity also helps to maintain a consistent temperature, both in the water and in the atmosphere above it, making it possible for marine life to flourish.

Copyright (c) 2004
Richard Ling


Water is essential to all living things. Without it, life as we know it could not exist on earth. It is truly one of the most amazing molecules in God's Chemistry Set.

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17 (NIV)"

As Cold as Ice - A Floating Anomaly

Ever curious why ice floats? Or what would happen if it didn't? Ever think what if water wasn't transparent? Or if it didn't form raindrops? Or if you couldn't boil it in a pot on the stove? Some of the things we take for granted about water are the same things that make it different from almost every other substance on Earth or in the Universe. And if water wasn't different, we might not exist. Water is so unique that it has even been used in science to define temperatures and weights.

It is no coincidence that water freezes at 0^oC (Celsius or Centigrade - 32^o Fahrenheit) and boils at 100^oC (212^oF). That's because these temperatures were set as reference points up until 1954 when more precise measurements defined them more accurately. In 1742, Anders Celsius took his thermometer and put it into freezing water and labeled it 100^oC and did the same with boiling water and called it 0^oC. In 1744, when Anders died, Carolus Linnaeus reversed the scale to be like it is today, with water freezing at 0^oC. Just 51 years later, in 1795, one gram (gm) was defined as equal to one cubic centimeter of water (cc or milliliter - ml).

So going back to our original question, what is it that makes water so different? If we had to boil it down to just one thing, it would be hydrogen bonds. These weak bonds between a hydrogen atom in one water molecule and an oxygen atom in another are what raise the melting point of solid water, help make ice float and create the surface tension to form a raindrop or pull water up a Giant Sequoia.

So how do hydrogen bonds create these unusual properties of water? First lets look at why ice floats. In liquid water the hydrogen bonds form randomly between water molecules, producing a free form molecular mix. The individual water molecules can fit together very closely in this free form state, much like a bowl of random jellybeans. But as the water freezes the hydrogen bonds and the unique bend of the water molecule (see the Chemistry of Water) cause the individual molecules to line up in hexagonal groupings, looking like a beehive, with much more space between them. This results in solid water at 0^oC being less compact than liquid water at 4^oC, the temperature where water is most dense. This beehive arrangement is also why no two snowflakes are ever the same. As water freezes, the hexagon crystals join in an unlimited number of ways to create the snowflakes kaleidoscopic designs.

Since ice, or solid water, has a lower density than the liquid around it, the ice floats to the surface. And thank goodness for that! If ice sank, the water in many rivers and lakes would freeze solid during the winter, supporting no life. Water on lake bottoms at higher elevations would never thaw. The Water Cycle, which helps support life as we know it, that repeating cycle of snow and rain followed by runoff to the ocean returning again to the mountains in clouds would be significantly decreased or non-existent.

So what about boiling water? Well those same Hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together, raising the boiling point. Most similar compounds have long become gases at this temperature. If you like to cook like I do, think of all of the recipes that depend on hot or boiling water. Just the other day I was steaming up some asparagus in the microwave and cooking some spaghetti in boiling water all the while drinking my ice cold diet Pepsi®. Our sweat works in a similar way, cooling us down as it evaporates due to the high energy (heat) needed to change liquid to gas. It removes heat from our skin as the water "boils away". We see that water exists in all three phases; as solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (steam or water vapor) within the normal temperature range of earth's environment. Few substances on Earth are like this.

Ocean water, with its high heat capacity, is the primary temperature regulator of our environment. It absorbs heat from the sun in the day and releases it at night, keeping temperatures within a livable range all around the World. Without this ability, the temperature at night would drop significantly, possibly to the point where life could not survive.

Hydrogen bonds also make water "sticky." When water sticks to itself it is called cohesion and when it sticks to other molecules it is called adhesion. This stickiness results in two unusual properties of water, surface tension and capillary action. Surface tension is what allows raindrops to form and what keeps the water from spilling over when you fill your glass to the brim. It also allows water bugs to glide on the surface of a lake. Capillary action is the pulling force of the hydrogen bonds that moves water up the roots and stems of plants. As water evaporates out of the leaves, it creates a tension that pulls up the water from within the plant. This force is strong enough to move water to the top of a three hundred foot tall Giant Sequoia.

Pure Water is also transparent to visible light. This property is extremely important to life in lakes, tide pools and the Continental Shelf. Light will penetrate about 50 feet through the water allowing a vast variety of plant and animal life to flourish. Fishing would be tough if this habitable water zone was not possible. We all know that the worst day fishing is better than the best day working!

It is clear that water has many unusual and amazing properties that make it critical for life on this planet. Such a simple molecule plays such a complex role in our lives. We tend to give water little thought, until we're thirsty. Proverbs 25:25 "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." (NIV)

The Chemistry of Water

OK, so in my last blog I said Water was an amazing compound. What makes it so amazing? Today I will look at some of the unusual chemical properties of Water.

Chemically Water is H₂O. Another chemical name is Hydrogen Oxide. In the Water molecule the Oxygen is more electronegative than the Hydrogen. When the two Hydrogen atoms and the Oxygen atom form the covalent bonds in the Water molecule, the Oxygen side of the molecule has a partial negative charge and the Hydrogen side a partial positive. This is due to the movement of the unmatched electrons in the Oxygen away from the Hydrogen atoms. This contributes to the formation of Hydrogen Bonds. The hydrogen bonds found in Water are the foundation of many of the unique properties that make it a miracle molecule.

Water is the consummate molecule for hydrogen bonds. Each positive Hydrogen atom in one Water molecule creates a hydrogen bond with an Oxygen atom in a different molecule. Each Water molecule can form four hydrogen bonds, one with each Hydrogen atom and two with each Oxygen. Water is exceptionally uncommon when compared to other, similar chemicals formed by the atoms surrounding Oxygen on the periodic chart. Water is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure; other analogous hydrides of the Oxygen family, such as Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) are gases. All basic Hydrogen compounds formed with the elements surrounding Oxygen in the Periodic Table (HF - Hydrofluoric acid, NH₃ - Ammonia, and CH₄ - Methane) are also gases. This is due to the stronger hydrogen bonds in Water that increase the energy requirements to produce Water Vapor.

The polarity of the Water molecule also makes it exceptionally qualified to be classified as the universal solvent. Almost any molecule with a slightly charged or ionized group can be hydrated by Water. Even large, complex molecules like DNA or proteins can be hydrated. But some things don't mix, like Water and Oil. Oils or fats, as pure hydrocarbons, lack polar groups but fatty acids, a hydrocarbon with a carboxyl group (-COOH), can be dissolved or are at least miscible with water. Using such an emulsifying agent, Water and Oil can be mixed in varying proportions to create creams, lotions and ointments.

This reaction between Water and fatty acids is how soap works. Soap is a salt of a fatty acid. The hydrocarbon chain end of the soap molecule acts to dissolve or emulsify the oils on our skin or in the substances we are washing off. The Water from the showerhead hydrates the ionized carboxyl end of the soap molecule and allows the oils to be washed down the drain.

Stearic Acid, a component of Soap (each bend is a Carbon-Hydrogen group CH₂)

Water can react with both acids and bases since it ionizes to a small extent into H⁺ and OH^- ions. The H⁺ ions are hydrated as H₃O⁺. In chemistry, pH is a measurement of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Values greater then seven are considered basic and values less than seven are acidic. Pure Water has a pH of seven.

The last exceptional property we will look at today is that water exists in all three phases - solid, liquid and gas - at natural ambient temperatures. The Hydrogen bonding in Water contributes significantly to this property but the shape of the water molecule due to the electron shift also plays a part. Water is bent at almost the perfect angle to produce a hexagon or honeycomb when in a solid state.

Next we will look at some of Water's physical properties and why ice floats.

Water was one of the first things God created, even before He said “Let there be Light”. "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:2 (NIV)"

The Molecule of Molecules

The other day I was in the shower and just thinking about what substance I should write on next when it hit me in the face, the water that is, and woke me up! Of course, it had to be Water. What an amazing molecule. What other compound, large or small, complex or simple, is more important. Now if you were asked to name the most amazing compound in the World, or maybe even the Universe, you might say DNA or a protein like Insulin, or maybe Plastic, or Gold, or who knows what. But Water is so ubiquitous, so everywhere, so common, that you might not even think about it.

We take Water for granted in most developed countries but in many places the water is not fit to drink. We hear people say when you are going to another country; "Don't drink the Water!". That's because water purity varies from country to country and immunity to what might be in the Water varies as well. But there is more, much more to Water than just for drinking.
photo by: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos (GFDL)

Although drinking water is important to us, Water has many other uses and its properties are studied extensively in numerous scientific fields. Water has key "(insert any term from below)" properties that are unexpected in almost any molecule, except Water of course.

Here are just a few examples:

Chemical - The universal solvent; hydrogen bonding effect
Physical - Ice floats; surface tension
Biological - Capillary action; supporting marine life
Environmental - Global warming; water cycle
Astronomical - A sign of extraterrestrial life?
Medical - Therapeutic healing properties; medication diluent
Recreational - Swimming; boating
Spiritual - The Living Water; Noah and the Flood

I have just listed a few of Water's many properties that make it one of, if not the, most essential molecule we know. Over the course of the next few posts, I hope to tell the full story of the fascinating compound that is Water.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. John 7:38 (NIV)"

Four Big Bangs Part 2

As I said in my last Blog, my favorite radio, 99.5 KKLA has Frank Pastore as the host of the afternoon drive home show. Last Tuesday he was talking about a new video he recently made with Prager University called "The Four Big Bangs", Cosmological, Biological, Anthropological and Psychological. Today I want to try and tie these to the Biblical account in Genesis.

Cosmological Big Bang: This is Something from Nothing, the Big Bang as we know it from Science. This first Big Bang can be matched to the first two days of Creation in Genesis 1:1-8: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NIV)."

Here, on the first day, God created the Universe, the Earth and light. The Earth was formless and void, the planets and the stars had not yet come together. On the second day He started the process to separate the planets and stars and created the sky.

Biological Big Bang: This is the conversion of inorganic compounds to organic lifeforms. This second Big Bang can be matched to the third and fourth days of Creation in Genesis 1:9-19: "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. (NIV)."

On the third day God created the dry land and the plants. On the fourth day He finished the alignments of the Sun and Moon and stars to mark the seasons.

Anthropological Big Bang: This is the Darwinian question of evolution. This third Big Bang can be compared to the fifth and sixth days of Creation in Genesis 1:20-31: "And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. (NIV)."

On the fifth day God created the sea animals and the birds and on the sixth day He created the land animals and Man. He placed man over all of the Earth, its plants and animals. Man's main distinction from the animals is God created man in His own image.

Psychological Big Bang (self-awareness): This is the question of morality and meaning, man's search for significance and purpose. The creation of Man on the sixth day and God resting on the seventh day aligns here. Genesis 2:1-3: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (NIV)."

God created man in His image and that is why man has free will and introspection, and wants to understand the world around him. God rested on the seventh day and made it holy to show us that we need to take time from our everyday lives to understand our purpose and to worship Him.

Albert Einstein said: "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." We need both to understand the world that God created and in which we live.

published before 1923 and public domain in the US