Water dissolves more substances than any other known natural solvent. This property has both advantages and disadvantages from a biological point of view. On the positive side, water dissolves and carries the majority of substances needed for life processes to occur. There are literally thousands of biological compounds needed for an organism to live, and most need to be in solution to react. Remove water and life as we know it ceases. You can see this in beef jerky. By dehydrating beef, the biological processes of decomposition cease. This preserves the beef, keeping it edible for extended periods.
On the negative side, water also dissolves compounds that are harmful to life. Most poisons and toxins are water-soluble. This is why you have to be very careful to avoid exposure to pesticides and other toxic compounds - they have the potential to be easily dissolved into the water in your body.
The ability of water to dissolve so many substances is due to water's dipolar nature. During this activity session, you will explore the unique chemistry of salt water, how it is measured, its consistency and its physical characteristics.
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