Water clusters in life
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
Published on: March 1, 2020
Abstract:
The role of water in chemical, biochemical and cellular events has only been recognized as a universal solvent. The conventional wisdom holds that water is a passive agent in biological interaction. However, more and more researchers regard water as an active component in biochemical reactions and hence occupy a crucial role in life. We propose that the active component of water is due to the existence of stable water clusters in aqueous solutions. Our research demonstrated that stable water clusters could be produced in very dilute inorganic and organic water solutions, and also isolated from biological fluids such as bovine serum. Stable water clusters may play an important role in physiological and pathological processes of life.
Related Concept Videos
Cohesion
On a surface,...
The Water Cycle
Role of Water in Human Biology
Water's Solvent Properties
Since water is a polar molecule with slightly positive and slightly negative charges, ions and polar molecules can readily dissolve in it. Therefore, it is referred to as a solvent, a...
States of Water
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Chemistry of the Cell
Water
The polarity of the water molecule and its resulting hydrogen bonding makes water a unique substance with special properties that are intimately tied to the processes of life. Life originally evolved in an aqueous environment, and most of an organism’s cellular chemistry and metabolism occur inside the aqueous contents of the cell’s cytoplasm. Special properties of water are its high heat capacity and heat of...
Solvents
A...

