Adhesion

Definition

Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another, playing a crucial role in the behavior of water. This property is vital for various biological processes, such as the movement of water in plants and the interactions between cells and their surroundings.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Adhesion allows water molecules to stick to other surfaces, such as plant cell walls, which is essential for water transport in plants.
2. The adhesion of water to glass surfaces can be observed in a graduated cylinder, where the water level appears higher at the edges due to this property.
3. Adhesion contributes to the formation of meniscus in liquids within containers, demonstrating how liquid molecules are attracted to the container's material.
4. In biological systems, adhesion is critical for cell signaling and communication, as cells often adhere to extracellular matrix components.
5. Without adhesion, processes like transpiration in plants would be severely impaired, affecting nutrient transport and overall plant health.

Review Questions

• How does adhesion impact water transport in plants and what would happen if this property were absent?
  • Adhesion plays a significant role in water transport in plants by allowing water molecules to cling to the walls of xylem vessels. This interaction facilitates capillary action, which helps move water upward from roots to leaves against gravity. Without adhesion, water would not effectively stick to these surfaces, resulting in poor hydration and nutrient delivery to plant tissues, ultimately affecting their growth and survival.
• Compare and contrast adhesion and cohesion in terms of their roles in biological systems.
  • Adhesion and cohesion are both important properties of water, but they serve different functions in biological systems. Adhesion allows water molecules to interact with different surfaces, aiding in processes like nutrient absorption and cellular communication. In contrast, cohesion helps maintain water's structure within itself, creating surface tension that supports small organisms on its surface. Together, these properties ensure efficient fluid movement and stability within living organisms.
• Evaluate how the concepts of adhesion and cohesion contribute to our understanding of water's unique behavior in various environmental contexts.
  • The concepts of adhesion and cohesion are fundamental to understanding water's unique behavior, particularly how it interacts with different materials and environments. Adhesion allows water to adhere to various surfaces like soil particles or plant tissues, facilitating essential processes such as nutrient uptake and transpiration. Meanwhile, cohesion leads to phenomena like surface tension and the formation of droplets. By evaluating these interactions, we gain insights into ecological dynamics, such as how plants adapt to their environments or how aquatic ecosystems function, highlighting the interconnectedness of physical properties and biological life.

Related terms

cohesion: Cohesion refers to the attraction between molecules of the same substance, which contributes to the surface tension of water.

capillary action: Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces, primarily due to adhesion and cohesion.

hydrogen bonds: Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions that occur between molecules when hydrogen is covalently bonded to electronegative atoms, playing a significant role in water's unique properties.