High dielectric constant
High dielectric constant
Due to having dipolar molecules, water is a big one solvent for ionic compounds (A higher dielectric constant of the solvent correlates with a higher ability of the solvent to dissolve salts), such as mineral salts, and polar covalent compounds, such as carbohydrates. It also allows solutions to conduct electricity.
The dissolution process is due to the fact that water molecules, as they are polar, are arranged around the polar groups of the solute; in the case of ionic compounds, they come to split them into anions and cations, which are thus surrounded by water molecules.
This means that water molecules will surround both anions and cations in a solution, and ultimately, diminish the attraction of the two charges.
This phenomenon is called ionic solvation. This water-soluble capacity and its abundance in the natural environment explain that it is the transport vehicle and the medium in which all the chemical reactions of the organism take place.
An example of this is the uptake of mineral salts by plants. (Transport vehicle)