water is made up of hydrogen and oxyogen, the body is made of 90 percent water, but why in the world do we need water? Oxyogen is a gas we breath, hydrogen is another gas, why cant we just live on that instead of having to deal with water?
2006-12-05 07:32:12 · 5 answers · asked by sweets_vch 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
maybe I should rephrase the question, what characteristic of water makes it essential to life rather than something else
2006-12-05 08:00:55 · update #1
I dont think i'm typing out my question in a format that applies to the actual question i'm trying to get across... why is water so essential to life? what makes water different than hydrogen and oxyogen, yes the combination of hyrdrogen and oxyogen is important but why is water so important?
2006-12-05 08:04:05 · update #2
Hi. Only because that is how our particular carbon based lives work. Any other environment may also have life forms. In fact, on Earth there are bacteria still living that are KILLED by the presence of oxygen.
2006-12-05 07:36:19 · answer #1 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the combo. of the two that we cannot live without. Similarily, the atmosphere is made up of a different combo. of gasses each of which could be deadly to all life on earth but when mixed together are not fatal at all.
Humans cannot rely on simply oxygen or hydrogen components by themselves because too much of either substance could destroy life. It is the perfect mixture of the two, H2O that is what we require to sustain life.
I hope that answers your question.
2006-12-05 07:36:30 · answer #2 · answered by searching_for_my_adventure 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are asking the question backwards.
Life has evolved from the water.
All of the body's chemistry occurs in aqueous solutions.
There is no substitute because it is the basis, the source.
Also, do not confuse the properties of chemical compunds with the properties of the elements making up those compounds. Water is unique and distinct from oxygen and hydrogen in its physical characteristics.
2006-12-05 08:12:36 · answer #3 · answered by Jerry P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Think of it like this: You cannot live in boiling water. You cannot live in freezing water. But when the two mix together you get room temperature which you can easily survive in. Hydrogen and Oxygen work in kind of the same way. Make sense?
Gotta love analogy's!!
2006-12-05 07:41:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uhm. wikipedia.
2006-12-05 07:34:50 · answer #5 · answered by tia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋