Abstract :
Water is a chemical compound made up of
two elements, Hydrogen gas, which is
combustible and Oxygen gas, which causes
to burn. But the union of two atoms of
Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen results in
a colourless and odourless liquid, known as
water, which extinguish fire.
On this planet earth water is one of the most
plentiful compound that exist as solid, liquid
and gaseous state. In nature it also occurs as
snow, ice packs, icebergs, glaciers, fog, dew,
clouds, aquifers and atmospheric humidity,
but on room temperature it is liquid that has
the property to dissolve many other
substances, which makes it a universal
solvent. Water is essential to all micro and
macro living beings, whether plants or
animals. Life, it is believed, originated in
aqueous solution. In human beings, water
constitutes circa 60% of the body fluids and
is essential for all biological processes, e.g.,
aqueous solution of blood and digestive
juices. Though its molecule - H2O - is simple
in structure but its physical and chemical
properties are quite complicated and unique,
not found in other substances in our
environment, e.g., solid state of a compound
is denser than its liquid state that sink, yet ice
floats in water. This phenomenon is very
important for the survival of aquatic life in a
frozen lake where the ice, instead of sinking,
floats on the surface and act as a barrier for
the aquatic life below, which overwinter the
harsh cold season.
Water, under normal climatic environment,
occurs as liquid, which makes it a suitable
habitat for millions of plants and animal life,
as well as a mode of transportation for living
organism. During hot weather it readily
changes to vapours, rises up and moves in the
atmosphere from place to place as cloud. On
condensation it falls as rain. This is known as
hydrologic cycle that is so vital for the
nourishment of the living being on earth.
Keyword :
Water, The Elixir of Life