Water as a Biological Solvent

Water acts as a biological solvent in many living systems. A solvent is a substance, usually a liquid, that dissolves another substance called a solute. When a solvent and a solute mix, they form a solution, which is a uniform mixture of both parts.

Water is called a universal biological solvent ...

溶剂

是任何溶解其他分子的物质，称为溶质

被溶解的物质

例如，充满于细胞质里的水

溶解并提供许多

生存所必需的营养

水的极性使细胞化学成为可能

氢原子上的部分正电荷

和氧原子上的轻微的负电荷

当一个离子化合物存在时，比如盐或氯化钠

单个离子更多受到水的引力

而非相互之间的引力，从而形成氢键

现在，水包围着粒子

形成了一个壳层，一个水合球体物

它使溶质分散成一种均匀的混合物

称为溶液