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God’s Flawless
Design of Water Makes Life Possible
.
The adhesive property of water arises due to
the polarity of the molecule which permits a variety of interactions to occur
between itself and soil particles and the walls of the conducting system in
plants. The cohesive property of water arises through hydrogen bonding to
adjacent water molecules. Both properties are critical to the movement of water
through the soil and into root systems. The amazing design of this little
molecule and the properties that arise from it attests to the genius of God. Water is commonly referred to as the matrix
of life. Its versatility and peculiar properties make it uniquely suitable for
life; it is unrivaled by any other liquid. For this purpose, almost all
biochemical reactions take place in water - this structure gives rise to the properties
of water that make it uniquely suitable for life. Water, the most abundant compound on earth, has
so many properties that make it truly remarkable especially in regard to making
the planet habitable and life possible.
Formed To Be Inhabited
by Dr. Ross Anderson
Abstract
Water, the most
abundant compound on earth, perhaps in the solar system, has so many properties
that make it truly remarkable especially in regard to making the planet
habitable and life possible. Each of the following properties discussed here
clearly shows that water is purposefully designed for making the earth
habitable.
“The Lord, who
created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He
established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be
inhabited).”
(Isaiah
45:18, NASB)
At-a-Glance
The
structure of the water molecule creates a polar molecule which enables it to be
a powerful solvent, able to dissolve a multitude of compounds. This is
extremely important as virtually all biochemical reactions take place in water.
The
structure of water also permits the formation of hydrogen bonds which provide
structural stability to proteins and nucleic acids.
Hydrogen
bonds between water molecules give it a high surface tension. Surface tension
is a measure of the strength of bonding between adjacent molecules at the
surface of a fluid.
The
adhesive property of water arises due to the polarity of the molecule which
permits a variety of interactions to occur between itself and soil particles
and the walls of the conducting system in plants.
The
cohesive property of water arises through hydrogen bonding to adjacent water
molecules.
Both
properties are critical to the movement of water through the soil and into root
systems.
The
amazing design of this little molecule and the properties that arise from it
attests to the genius of God.
Water,
like most liquids, becomes denser as it cools, however, unlike other liquids,
the density of water decreases as its temperature drops to the freezing point.
This
anomalous behavior prevents aquatic life from freezing during the winter
months.
The
high specific heat capacity of water enables living organisms to regulate their
body temperatures within certain limits.
This
same property also enables the oceans and other large bodies of water to
moderate temperatures on a global scale.
If
the viscosity of water were higher or lower than what it is, oxygen and
nutrients could not reach cells in sufficient quantity to permit life.
This
is the first of four brief articles that will convey to the reader that the
earth truly was formed to be inhabited.
In
this article we look at the most common liquid on earth and something we all
tend to take for granted: water.
It
is estimated that >70% of the earth’s surface is water and that the human
body is approximately 60% water, thus it is incumbent upon us to take a closer
look at this “miracle” substance.
Water
is commonly referred to as the matrix of life. Its versatility and peculiar
properties make it uniquely suitable for life; it is unrivaled by any other
liquid.
For
this purpose, almost all biochemical reactions take place in water.
It
is necessary, then, to take a look at the structure of water and how this structure
gives rise to the properties of water that make it uniquely suitable for life.
Structure
and Hydrogen Bonding
A
water molecule consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms with the
molecular formula H2O.
It
is a bent molecule, not linear as some may suppose. This bent structure is due
to repulsion between two “lone pairs” (electrons not involved in a bond) of
electrons and those bonding electrons shared by the oxygen and hydrogens.
This
structure and the higher electronegativity of oxygen compared to hydrogen
creates a dipole (i.e., water is a polar molecule.
 |
Figure 1 shows the structure of a water molecule and the partial charges
which give rise to the polar nature of the molecule. The partial charges
are due to the unequal sharing of electrons between the oxygen
and the hydrogens. |
One
part of the molecule, the oxygen, is partially negative, and the hydrogen
portion is partially positive). It is this polarity that gives water some of
its unique properties that are essential to life. (Figure 1)
The
structure of the water molecule is such that it makes water very polar (i.e.,
there is a positive end and a negative end to the molecule.) This polarity
makes water the “universal solvent.”
This
allows many compounds to dissolve in water as water molecules form spheres of
hydration around molecules and ions, shielding and weakening the attractive
force that would otherwise drive them back together.
 |
Figure 2 shows the orientation of water molecules around charged solutes.
Note the orientations of the water around an ion. |
The
water molecules orient themselves around ions such that the negatively charged
oxygen atom is near a positively charged solute, and the positively charged
hydrogen atoms are near the negatively charged solute. (FIGURE 2)
The
polarity of water is thus responsible for the dissolution of a myriad of
compounds. It is no wonder, then, that blood, interstitial fluid, urine, and
intracellular fluids are all mostly water.
In
order for nutrients to be delivered to the cells, they must be soluble in
blood.
Likewise,
for the body to rid itself of waste products, these products must be soluble in
urine. The polar nature of the water molecule is what permits both delivery of
nutrients and the ridding of waste.
Indeed, as Henderson
in The Fitness of the Environment (115) states, “no other chemically inert
solvent can compare with water in the number of things which it can dissolve,
nor in the amounts of them which it can hold in solution.”
The
polarity of water permits the dissolution of many salts and other polar compounds.
Some salts dissociate partially while others may do so nearly completely.
In
either case, this permits the formation of new chemical species. For example,
dissolving NaCl, KI, LiBr in water:
NaCl → Na+ + Cl-
KI → K+ + I-
LiBr → Li+ + Br-
If
the water is removed by evaporation, any of the positively charged ions may
associate with any of the negatively charged ions. Thus, KCl, NaI, NaBr, KBr,
LiCl, LiI may form as well as the original three salts.
 |
Figure 3. Hydrogen bonding between water molecules.
Note the partial (+) hydrogens of one molecule are bonded to the partial (-) oxygen
of adjacent molecules. In this same way water can bond with a variety
of biomolecules that also possess partial charges. |
The
dissociation of salts in water permits the formation of charged solutes (Na+,
Cl- and K+, specifically), which can flow in neurons giving rise to neural
conduction.
The
high electronegativity of the oxygen atom in water means those electrons shared
with the two hydrogens will be closer to the oxygen, imparting a partial
negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogens.
The
negative oxygen can then be attracted to the positive hydrogens of another
water molecule, or to another molecule with a positive charge, and the positive
hydrogens can be attracted to any other negatively charged part of a molecule,
such as another water molecule.
Every
molecule in the interior of a drop of water can potentially be hydrogen bonded
to four other adjacent water molecules via hydrogen bonds. (Figure 3)
This
property of water makes it very cohesive. The polar nature of water permits it
to adhere to other polar substances like glass.
Interplay
between the cohesive forces and adhesive forces of water is responsible for
capillary action of water.
Capillary
action plays a major role in carrying dissolved nutrients and water to plant
roots in the soil, as well as carrying them up into the plants.
The
adhesiveness of water allows it to penetrate small cracks and crevasses in
rock, and the cohesiveness draws more water in.
When
the water later freezes, it expands causing the rocks to fracture. This process
repeated year after year leads to the eventual breakdown of the rock, releasing
trapped minerals and metals.
Water
in streams, rivers, and oceans distributes these materials worldwide, making
them available for life.
Surface
Tension and Density
 |
Figure 4. Hydrogen bonding (dotted lines)
is very important in stabilizing secondary structures
found in proteins. Shown is a segment of an α-helix |
Hydrogen
bonding between water molecules is also responsible for the very high surface
tension of water.
The
surface tension of water is the highest of any common liquid, save that of
mercury.
It
is the high surface tension that causes raindrops to adopt a spherical shape,
dewdrops to form on spider webs, and various insects to be able to glide on the
surface of a body of water.
Hydrogen
bonds are weak compared to covalent bonds; at room temperature, they are
constantly breaking and reforming.
However,
like Velcro, many such weak bonds can confer great strength. Hydrogen bonds,
along with other weak interactions, are the primary stabilizing factor in
proteins and nucleic acids like DNA. (Figure 4)
One
of the more unique features of water, which is a result of hydrogen bonding, is
that upon cooling it becomes more and more dense until about 4°C, when it is
most dense.
Upon
further cooling, from 4°C to 0°C, the density begins to decrease as the water
starts to expand. The density change between these two temperatures is small,
but of vital importance.
The
denser, 4°C, water will sink to the bottom of a body of water, such as a lake
or pond, while the colder, less dense water, will rise to the surface and form
a layer of ice.
In
this way larger bodies of water may freeze on the surface, but remain liquid
beneath. This has obvious benefits for all aquatic life.
Interestingly,
the low thermal conductivity of ice, helps to insulate the water below it,
keeping it from freezing.
Likewise,
the high heat of fusion of water, also helps to keep the water just below the
ice from freezing. (Figure 5)
Liquid
ammonia has some of the same advantages as water; however, a major disadvantage
is that upon freezing solid ammonia is denser than liquid ammonia and sinks.
 |
Figure 5 shows the different arrangements of water molecules
in water at different temperatures. Note the packing of the water molecules;
less/dense packed in warm water (>4°C), most packed/dense in cold water
(4°C), and least packed/dense in ice (0°C). |
The
sinking of denser, 4°C water and the rising of colder, <4°C, less dense
water creates a vertical circulation, or upwelling, whereby oxygen-rich surface
water is carried to lower depths and nutrient-rich bottom water is brought
closer to the surface, benefiting all aquatic organisms.
Specific
Heat Capacity
Water,
unlike most common liquids, has a high specific heat capacity. This is defined
as the amount of heat energy required to raise one gram of water by one degree
Celsius (°C).
The
high specific heat also results from the hydrogen bonding in water. At 0°C,
heat energy can be input into ice without a concomitant rise in temperature.
This
is because the energy goes into breaking the hydrogen bonds between the
molecules, as well as increasing the kinetic energy of the water molecules.
Once
all the ice is melted, any further input of heat energy causes an increase in
the water temperature until 100°C, the boiling point of water.
At
the boiling point, much more heat may be applied without increasing the
temperature until all the water becomes vapor, then it will again rise.
The
body is mostly composed of water, (~60–65% for the average adult human), thus
the high specific heat is instrumental in maintaining proper body temperature,
~37°C in humans.
This
is particularly true when undergoing strenuous exercise whereby the body core
could easily overheat if water did not have as high a specific heat, able to
absorb much of the heat produced, and then transport it to the body surface
where it can be dissipated through radiation and evaporation.
Evaporative
cooling is a major means for keeping the body temperature in check.
Due
to the high latent heat of vaporization, as water evaporates from the skin’s
surface, a significant amount of heat is removed, resulting in cooling.
Water
has a high heat of fusion which is defined as the amount of heat energy needed
to convert 1 gram of ice to water at 0°C, or vice versa.
When
liquid water begins to freeze, this same amount of heat energy is released.
This is sometimes called heat of solidification, or freezing.
Citrus
growers take advantage of this principle. When a frost is imminent, growers
will spray a mist of water over the fruit on the trees.
As
the water cools and freezes, it releases heat, thus keeping the fruit from
freezing.
Water
also has the highest heat of vaporization, defined as the amount of heat energy
needed to convert 1 gram of liquid water to water vapor.
This
means that water that has absorbed sufficient heat energy to become vapor will,
when it cools and condenses, release exactly the same amount of heat absorbed.
This
latent heat is largely responsible for moderating temperatures of landmasses
near large bodies of water.
Consequently,
the western United States and much of western Europe do not suffer from
extremes of temperature in summer or winter.
Landmasses
not near large bodies of water, such as the Midwest, experience greater
temperature extremes in summer and winter.
Bodies
of water in the tropics also absorb much solar heat, generating water vapor
which, when blown toward the poles, cools, condenses, and falls as rain.
The
heat released in this process helps to moderate global climate. This is very
important for life, agriculture, and civilization.
Viscosity
Water
has a low viscosity compared to many liquids. If the viscosity of water were
lower than it is, cells would easily rupture with even mild agitation.
Many
cellular processes depend on the viscosity of water being what it is.
For
example, one of these processes is diffusion, which multicellular organisms
depend on to obtain enough O2 and to rid themselves of CO2. If viscosity goes
up, the rate of diffusion goes down.
Thus,
if the viscosity were higher, diffusion would be slowed possibly to the point
that multicellular organisms could not exist.
Mobility
of both unicellular and multicellular organisms would also be greatly affected.
Molecules and organelles within cells would not be able to distribute within
the cell fast enough to support life.
This
completes our brief survey of some of the unique properties of water that have
all the appearance of having been designed for life. Much more may be said
about water, but space does not permit it.
Some
may say that all of this is simply coincidental, but as you will see, the
“coincidences” begin to accumulate, and they all point in the same direction — the
earth was formed to be inhabited.
Next
in this series, we will examine the element carbon. We will see that it, too,
has many properties that uniquely suit it for life.
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics
ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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