Water is essential for life. No living being on Earth can survive without it. And the reason water molecules are so essential to the functioning of life is due to the unique chemical properties of water, according to researchers. Water is able to dissolve nearly anything, and it is vital for the functioning of all living cells. It can also be found as a liquid, gas or solid within a fairly limited range of temperatures.
Water is found everywhere, from the polar ice caps to steamy geysers, and where there is water, there is life. And all three states of water (solid, liquid and gas) can create an impressive variety of habitats and micro-climates.
Why Is Water So Important to Life?
Water is an abundant natural chemical and consists of H2O molecules. It is a simple inorganic compound that makes up 55-60% of the body mass of lean adult humans and is found throughout the human body, where it occupies most of the volume of many of the body’s fluids, cells and tissues.
Water has important roles in chemistry, biochemistry and biology due to the diversity of its properties. The following things are make it so important for human biology: water is an excellent solvent, transporting many other particles around the body; the ease of movement of water through other molecules, such as carrying oxygen in blood around the vascular system; water takes part in many chemical reactions, including the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins during the digestive process; water can act as a lubricant in joints, for example; the thermal properties of water are well suited to life, helping the body cope with environmental changes in temperature; and there are other biologically helpful properties, such as its cohesion, adhesion and surface tension. The latter involves capillary action, such as in the constant drainage of tears from the eye.
Why Filter Water?
The same properties that make water so vital to human life also make it attractive to other life forms, including bacteria. All water carries bacteria and protozoans to some extent, such as cryptosporidium, anabaena sp. and e.coli, most of which are completely harmless. But once you see what they look like up close, you might think twice about the water you are drinking.
This is why water filters (comprising a variety of types, including filter taps and filtering jugs, to name just a couple) and water filter bottles are becoming increasingly popular – the former for the home or office environment and the latter for the outdoor world. Water filters can be very effective at removing the micro-organisms living in your water and do so by means of a fine physical barrier, chemical process or a biological process.
Water filter bottles are particularly interesting to the outdoor enthusiast, allowing you to remove microbiological contamination from water whilst on the move. You can scoop up water from lakes, rivers, streams to produce safe water whilst out and about. They are especially ideal for hiking, mountaineering, cycling or indeed for any outdoor activity.
