Water, as a molecule is a bent molecule and this characteristic makes it a very polar. Water is a dipole, if the polar bonds if in a straight row would cancel each other out. A dipole is a molecule that has a positive and negative end. So both the hydrogens act as one end (positive) and the oxygen the other (negative). Water has been called a universal solvent because of it polarity. This means it can easily ionize substances, Many compounds, whether ionic, polar or covalent will dissolve in it; therefore more reactions take place while in solution with water. Often in organisms substances must be in solution and water is the solvent. Plants can only obtain mineral salts in solution and human digestion will only dissolve soluble foods, meaning large starch molecules must be broken down into soluble sugars. Also many organisms living in water spend most of their time underwater, yet they require oxygen to respire, and as water is such a good solvent the required oxygen gas !

Cleaning Up By Cleaning Up Newsweek: Feb. 27, 1989.

"Great Lakes Pollution as a Political Issue", The Globe and Mail, Oct. 16, 1989.

Sanderson, Kimberly, Acid Forming Emissions, Canada: Environment Council of Edmonton, Alberta, 1984.

Collier Encyclopedia, volume 3, U.S.A.: MacMillan Educational Company, New York, 1984.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1806
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)