The function of water for plants – Water is the main source for life on earth. The availability of water on earth itself reaches almost 70% and almost all living things actually need water to survive.
Water can come from seas, rivers and groundwater by making wells. The real fact about water is that humans can only live for one week without water with an average need of at least 50 liters per day. By breathing the body then requires about 1.7 liters of water every day.
The earth is covered with water with a content of 75% and the atmosphere is in the form of steam. Meanwhile, water from the ground can be found in the wells dug for bathing.
Based on its type, the water on the surface of the earth is then divided into two parts, namely salt water in the oceans. It is called brine because of the salt content in it. Because of this, sea water is often used as a raw material for making salt.
The sum of the percentage of salt water itself is 97% of 100%. For fresh water, the amount is the rest of sea water, which is 3%.
Fresh water has no taste and is usually used for washing, drinking, cooking and many more. Then what are the functions of water for plants and animals? Check out the following reviews.
Functions of Water for Plants
Plants need water to carry out various processes. One of the benefits of water for plants is for the process of photosynthesis. This photosynthesis will then produce oxygen which is needed for the various needs of living things.
In addition to carrying out the process of photosynthesis, water also has several other important functions as follows.
- As the main component in the process of photosynthesis and transpiration in plants. Water then becomes a source of energy in the process of photosynthesis. There is a lot of energy which is then used in the photosynthesis process which causes the plant’s need for water to be higher.
- Water also contains compounds that function in the formation of protoplasm.
- Water can work as a nutrient solvent in the process of entering minerals from the soil into plants and distributing them to all parts of the plant body.
- Water functions as a compound used for plant metabolic reaction processes.
- Water can work as a reactant that affects various reactions in metabolic processes.
- Water also works as a producer of mechanical energy in the process of enlargement and cell division.
- Water will maintain the turgidity of the cells and keep them in good condition.
- Water functions as a compound that can be used to regulate the mechanism of movement of opening or closing stomata in plants. Water can also work as a hydraulic system which can cause turgor in the cell walls because it puts pressure on plant cells.
- Water functions to extend plant cells, as well as a material for various plant growth and development activities.
- Water functions to help the process of respiration in plants.
- Water also functions as a transport medium that will move the results of the photosynthesis process.
- Water is used as a medium in the process of biochemistry, because water is also an excellent solvent in biochemical processes.
Water functions to regulate the temperature in plants to remain stable, because it has high heat and can regulate heat in plants.
Almost all processes of plant growth and development require water. All the details of the activities carried out by plants also require the role of water in them.
If the plants lack water, it will cause the plants to become weak. Plant growth is disrupted due to lack of energy, which eventually withers and dies, due to reduced turgor pressure on the plants.
Minerals that come from the soil itself cannot climb into the stem and cannot be absorbed by the roots. Due to lack of water, it will cause the plant to lack minerals which will interfere with plant growth and health.
The health of these plants is disrupted because the results of photosynthesis are not properly transported to all parts of the plant. Thus resulting in a decrease in the health of plants and roots.
Water is an essential need for plants. Plants need water to carry out every process of living, growing and developing. However, it should be noted that each plant actually has different water content requirements.
There are plants that require large amounts of water, such as aquatic plants. While there are also plants that only need a little water, so if you get too much water it will rot or damage the cells in the plant.
Therefore, plants can control their own water content needed by themselves so that they can survive.
Functions of Water for Animals
As in humans and plants, water is also very necessary in the daily life of animals, such as regulating body temperature, helping the digestive process of substances, and others.
The important function of water for animals as follows.
1. Smooth Digestion
The first benefit of water for animals is to facilitate digestion. Digestion in animals is as important as humans. Digestive animals can experience various disorders such as the digestive system is not smooth.
So the way to expedite the digestive system is to use water as a means of facilitating digestion. There are many things that then disrupt the digestive system in animals, for example if you eat wrong or eat food that is too hard so you need water to dissolve it.
2. Maintain Body Temperature
The next function of water is to maintain body temperature to face winter and summer. Where the workings of these animals are by soaking in the water when the heat is very hot and when it rains animals that live on the plains prefer to spend their days sleeping. By keeping the animal’s body temperature can then prevent themselves from getting sick.
3. Milk Production
When experiencing the mating period, each female animal will then lay eggs and some will contain them for mammals. After going through these periods, mammals will produce milk naturally. Where natural milk production then still needs water to keep producing. So that the mother can provide breast milk for her children.
4. Drink
Water is also useful for drinking and almost all living things need water to drink. Drinking will fulfill the needs of every living creature’s body, of which almost a fraction of a percent consists of water.
The amount of water needed by the animals themselves varies depending on the body weight of each animal. Likewise with animals that live in water still need water to drink as usual.
5. Water serves as a place to live
There are a number of animals that live in water, such as fish, shrimp, dolphins, and others.
6. Water Serves As A Cleaning Tool
Water for animals also serves to cleanse the body. Like humans, animals also need water to clean their bodies. For example, in buffalo animals that cleanse the body by entering the water.
7. Water serves as a means of protection.
For example, the hippopotamus then spends most of its time in the water to escape the scorching sun during the day.
Properties of Water that Can Be Utilized by Plants
Water is a very important element for all life on earth. Humans also will not be able to survive without drinking water within 3 days. Not only in humans, animals and plants also really need water to survive.
Water is a very important ingredient in life because all necessities of life then require water. Every process carried out by humans, animals and plants requires water.
Water comes from nature, whether it falls as rain, water that flows in rivers, or needs to be taken with the help of a drilling machine. The importance of water for life makes almost all living things. Plants need water to survive and always grow to produce taller trees, producing leaves, seeds and fruit perfectly.
Without water, plant growth will be stunted and stunted. The water content in plants is about 80 percent of the plant’s dry weight. That is why water is a component in plants that cannot be ignored.
Even if the roots cannot find water for a long time, the plant will dry out and then die from lack of water.
Water has several special characteristics and properties so that it becomes an important component of all life, one of which is in plants. Some of the properties of water that can be utilized by plants include the following.
1. Have a Cohesive Style
Water has cohesive properties and forces that are able to absorb water vertically in plants. Cohesion itself has three concepts with the difference in water potential between the soil and the atmosphere so that it can function as a driving force with the hydration power of the xylem vessel walls so that it is able to maintain water molecules in gravity, and finally, the cohesive force between water molecules can then help maintain the integrity of the water column in the soil. xylem vessels.
2. Has Adhesion Style
Adhesion forces in plants actually occur in the xylem walls. The adhesion force on the plant will then cause capillarity in the plant and will cause the liquid to rise into the narrow tube of the plant.
3. The Nature of Polarity
Water with polarity properties which will then allow it to change its shape after passing through the xylem in plants. After passing through the xylem, water will then turn into a droplet form because of the polarity that it has.
4. As a Solvent
Water is also known to be very good for three groups of important biological substances, namely organic matter, ions with a charge (K+, Ca2+, NO3) and small molecules.
5. Evaporate on High Heat
Plants carry out various transpiration processes on themselves to then regulate the temperature in plants. Transpiration in plants itself occurs when water in plants evaporates when high temperatures occur in plants.
Books Related to Water as a Source of Life
1. What’s on Earth? Water
Without water, humans, animals and plants would not be able to survive on Earth. Why is that? Let’s find out! Explore the water cycle and how to use and save water. Investigate the properties and forms of water. Make your own iceberg, water filter, mini pond and rainbow!
Series What’s on Earth? Contains interesting science facts. Equipped with various experiments to hone creativity, this book invites children to explore the world around them in a fun way.
2. Piping Drinking Water Supply Techniques
Water is a vital element in human life. The availability of water in nature is very abundant, but the availability of water ready for consumption is still relatively small. Therefore, to obtain water that complies with drinking water standards, an effective and efficient processing and distribution process is needed.
In this book the author tries to present an outline of drinking water supply techniques beginning with discussing domestic water demand and its availability, techniques regarding drinking water supply including networks and accessories, followed by a discussion of surveys or data collection needed for planning, and ending with system computation methods. piping network for drinking water and its simulation.
This book is intended as a reference material or to assist professionals in planning drinking water supply piping networks. This book is also expected to be useful for university students who are studying drinking water supply.
3. Harvesting Rainwater: A New Source of Drinking Water
The idea to write this book was sparked when Indonesia was hit by many problems, especially those caused by heavy rains. Flash floods occur everywhere, but then give way to prolonged dry seasons, forest fires and drought.
Communities find it difficult to obtain water, both for agriculture and for daily drinking water needs. Rainwater that falls abundantly for free is allowed to pass, even though this is a golden opportunity to be harvested.
If all Indonesian people were willing to get used to using water and were more enthusiastic about harvesting rainwater and processing it for their daily needs, especially drinking water for the family, great benefits would certainly be obtained.
Those are some of the functions of water for plants and animals as well as the properties of water that are beneficial to plants. You can get books related to water at Sinaumedia.com.