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Cohesion and Surface Tension of Water

Cohesion is the sticking together of water molecules. Cohesion in water molecules is due to hydrogen bonding between the molecules. It is the mechanism by which water is pulled up the xylem in plants.Water has a high surface tension. The cohesion of the water molecules forms a "skin" on the surface of the water that can support small animals such as pond skaters. The surface of water therefore acts as a habitat for small aquatic organisms.

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Specification: AQA Biology (7401), AS-level, 3.1.7 Water. Topic: Nucleic Acids.

Key terms in this lesson

hydrogen bond
A weak electrostatic attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom on one polar molecule and a slightly negative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, on another.
xylem
Plant vascular tissue, made of dead, lignified tubular cells, that transports water and mineral ions from the roots to the leaves.

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