Importance Of Calcium

Question: What is the importance of calcium and Magnesium in biochemistry?

Answer: calcium is used alot as a secondary messenger in cells. as for magnesium, i don't know

Question: Women's weight loss: The importance of Calcium and Magnesium? Since last December, I've lost 30 pounds... and recently, I've been reading about the importance of calcium and magnesium in women's diets. According to certain dieticians featured in O Magazine, greater levels of calcium and magnesium help a woman to loose weight more effectively. Can anyone back this up with other articles or personal experience?

Answer: I hadn't heard about the magnesium, but I read about the calcium in a Curves publication. It said that the calcium causes us to produce less of a fat storing hormone. I also found these sources on the internet: http://www.webmd.com/news/20000417/calcium-low-fat-diet http://irweb.swmed.edu/chn/naa/tipsheets/ca_wtloss.htm http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2006/01/18/calcium_can_it_cause_weight_loss.php The last one is skeptical about the connection. The first 2 believe it.

Question: What is the importance of having proper calcium and phosphorus ration in dog food? While researching some dog food, including the RAW diet, I read that 1000mg Calcium should be added from any source per pound of meat to give it proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. Does anyone know why? Thanks Chloe, thanks for giving us all a warning. I agree. The Hills/Science Diet prescription stuff the Vet pushes is horrible! I wouldn't feed that crap to a bug.

Answer: An appropriate balance must be maintained for either to be properly utilized. If the balance is off with too much phosphorous, the dog's system will naturally create a balance by metabolizing bone to free up calcium.

Question: Importance of calcium in teens? is there any other things it aids within the body and generally why is it so important for teens

Answer: Because osteoporosis is a disease that develops in the teen years, but becomes apparent in elderly years. You bones reach a peak bone mass between ages 18 and 30. After this time there is a slow decline in bone mass. If it declines too low, you get fractures and osteoporosis. It is hard to slow the decline in bone mass, it is best to reach a high bone mass. 98% of bone mass is laid down before age 18. Thus, getting enough calcium in teens is required. Calcium is also needed for proper growth. Growth cannot be "caught up" to an appreciable extent if calcium is low during this time.

Question: Why is CALCIUM of importance in our diet?

Answer: Calcium is needed for strong bones. It is needed for your heart, muscles and nerves to function properly and for your blood to clot normally.

Question: Calcium and Magnesium? Since last December, I've lost 30 pounds... and recently, I've been reading about the importance of calcium and magnesium in women's diets. According to certain dieticians featured in O Magazine, greater levels of calcium and magnesium help a woman to loose weight more effectively. Can anyone back this up with other articles or personal experience?

Answer: I am way leaner on dairy! More articles on benefits from milk

Question: Maximum bone-calcium density, when? I'm 22 (just turned 22 1mo ago, so young 22???) and I've always heard about the importance of calcium for women, and that our maximum bone density peaks at age 20. Now, I don't think I've consumed enough calcium in my younger life. Is the peak really 20 +/- 3yrs? Or have scientists found that age 20 is just about when all women have their bone density peak? Thanks!

Answer: Up to 90 percent of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and by age 20 in boys, which makes youth the best time to "invest" in one's bone health. A variety of genetic and environmental factors influence peak bone mass. It has been suggested that genetic factors (those you were born with and cannot change, such as gender and race) may account for up to 75 percent of bone mass, and environmental factors (such as diet and exercise habits) account for the remaining 25 percent. For reasons still not known, African American females tend to achieve higher peak bone mass than Caucasian females. Surveys indicate that teenage girls in the United States are less likely than teenage boys to get enough calcium. In fact, fewer than 10 percent of girls age 9 to 17 actually get the calcium they need each day. Smoking has been linked to low bone density in adolescents and is associated with other unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol use and a sedentary lifestyle. The effects of alcohol on bone have been studied more extensively in adults, and the results indicate that high consumption of alcohol has been linked to low bone density. Experts assume that high consumption of alcohol in youth has a similar adverse effect on skeletal health.

Question: Calcium Experts? Does anyone know of some doctors/specialists that have written books on calcium and it's importance for pregnant women? I need pregnancy authors and women's health experts in general. Please suggest some. I'm writing an article about the importance of calcium for pregnant women and I need to refer to an expert on the topic.

Answer: Coral Calcium is the best.

Question: Could you please explain to me the importance of protein and why the following foods are important ? Does protein make you grow ? Does calcium make you grow ? Why is bread an essential part of the diet, what goodness is in it ? How good for you are rich tea biscuits ?

Answer: Protein helps your muscles grow. Calcium keeps your bones strong. Bread is not essential - you can get your fiber from fruits and vegetables. Tea biscuits are a type of bread. Stay away if you want to lose fat.

Question: HELP MY SCIENCE ACTIVITY? Materials: Egg shells cover slip Lobster shells hydrochloric acid chicken bone glass slide Tissue paper Procedure: 1.Place a piece of egg shell on the tissue paper 2.add ad drop of hydrochloric acid on a piece of eggshell. 3.observe the presence of bubbles on the eggshells.notice the appearance of bubbles.The appearance of bubbles shows the presence of calcium. 4.place the lobster shells and the chicken bone on the tissue paper and then add a drop of hydrochloric acid on each.What did you observe? With bubbles Without bubbles Chicken bone Lobster shells Eggshells questions: 1.which of the three specimens contain calcium? 2.Which of the specimens do not contain calcium? 3.How do you know that the skeleton contains calcium? 4.Give otger examples of specimens that contain calcium. 5.What is the importance of calcium in your body? 6.Conclusion/Generalization

Answer: well, the egg shell is a gimme, your question says it has calcium. Lobster shells are made of chitin, i'd wager a negatory on that one, and chicken bones do contain calcium based on the question ''how do you know that the skeleton contains calcium''. and for the answer see procedure 3, it made bubbles. other examples would be tums, milk, and chalk. Calcium regulates ionic pathways for muscle activation, and provides structure and density to bones. Chicken bones are good for you, they have calcium.

Question: Chines water dragon - advise on how to start? Hi, We just bought a young chinese water dragon, he/she is only 11 inches. 1. Can you please give me advise on how to start? 2. Do you know how old is he/she? 3. What size of cage should I get, can I get away with a smaller size tank or cage for a while, if so what size? I know he can grow to be like 3 feet long so it would be hard for me to fit in a tank measuring like 6 feet by 3 feet at this point... What is better, regular tank or terrarium? 4. How to feed him/her,what types of food are most beneficial, how often (I know about importance of calcium supplementing). 5. what to watch out for, any signs of health issues... 6. what is the best UVB/UVA source to use, I heard of something like mega...ray...bulb something. Do those bulbs have both UVA and UVB rays in it? 7. what is best heat source (I head of ceramic for heat, if I use this one do I have to have infra red?) 8. how to maintain the heat and humidity the BEST, is thermostat something good to have? 9. Im not clear about the basking area, what is the best spot for it, what to use for it 10. what to use as substrate for a young dragon? Any feedback will be great, thank you! We already have this dragon and he is so cute! I appreciate the tips, thanks!

Answer: If this is your first reptile, i trul thinlk you should start with a Bearded Dragon. They are ALOT easier to clean, more active, and live longer. But if you INSIST on getting a CWD, Then here http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragoncr.htm http://www.ehow.com/how_2064209_care-chinese-water-dragon.html http://www.reptilechannel.com/lizards/lizard-species/chinese-water-dragon-species.aspx OR, if you change your mind(bearded dragon stuff.) http://www.draconian.com/dragons/bearded-dragon-care.php http://www.beardeddragoncare.net/ and about the age and stuff. He should be 1week-3months old.(they dont sell them at pet stores if they get older)Start with a 50-100 gallon tank. That should be healthy.Check one of the websites i listed, i only know how to feed Bearded dragons. Good Luck Bro

Question: briefly descrbe the importance of each, easy element questions? carbon-14 americium-241 lodince-131 cobalt-60 and the imortance of the follwoing ions in the human body write 1 or 2 sentences for eah ion ptasssium k1+ chloride cl1- sodium Na1+ calcium ca2+

Answer: carbon-14: used for carbon dating, americium-241: Americium is produced when plutonium absorbs neutrons in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons tests. Released into the enviroment during weapons testing. Because americium emits alpha particles, americium poses a significant risk if enough is swallowed or inhaled. lodine-131: It is used in nuclear medicine both diagnostically and therapeutically. Especially for goiters. cobalt-60:As a tracer for cobalt in chemical reactions, Sterilization of medical equipment, Radiation source for medical radiotherapy, Radiation source for industrial radiography, Radioactive source for leveling devices and thickness gauges, As a radioactive source for food irradiation, and As a radioactive source for laboratory use. Potassium: Potassium is an essential component needed in plant growth and is found in most soil types. In animals, potassium maintains cell potentials (essentially keeps them from bursting and shriveling). Chloride: Chloride is also a useful and reliable chemical indicator of river / groundwater faecal contamination. Increases blood's carbon dioxide capacity. Sodium: Allows for the body to absorb water properly. Is directly involved in muscle movement and brain and neuron activity. Calcium: Helps to fortify teeth and bones.

Question: health questions for vegetarians/vegans? **DON'T WANT TO BE MEAN BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRY AND TELL ME THAT EATING MEAT IS THE ONLY HEALTHY DIET PLEASE DON'T ANSWER MY QUESTION. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND YOU AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND. I am a your vegetarian (18) and I am slowly learning how to have a healthy lifestyle. I know the importance of whole grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, iron, and calcium but i still have questions. 1. How much sugar should I be eating? I drink naked juices a lot and they have about 28g of sugar. There 100% fruit (i have read ingredients) so are they okay to drink? 2. What does B12 do for our bodies? I take a multivitamin that gives enough but I was just curious. 3. Are dairy products bad on your body? I get the animal side and I am trying to slowly become vegan but I was just wondering about the health aspect. If you could answer any that would be great!

Answer: 1) Having "juiced" for years, the general rule of thumb is to limit your fruit juice intake to no more than 1 or 2 fruit juices per day. In case you don't know what "juicing" is, it is basically the daily consumption of freshly juiced organic fruits and vegetables. You need a juicer to do this. However, it is a great way to add nutrients to your diet. 2) Vitamin B12 provides for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. A person who does not get enough B12 can develop B12 deficiency. B12 is also found in nutritional yeast. This is from wikipedia: "In serious cases, B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage to the nervous system, including subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord". 3) Dairy products are high in fat and cholesterol. They aren't bad in small amounts and they do contain B12, also. However, a vegan diet is a cholesterol free diet. Cholesterol can lead to a risk of heart disease and stroke.

Question: FOOD+SLEEP+MENTAL & PHYSICAL WELL BEING=Taller? Now i understand that there is no food or magic pill that makes people get taller. GENES play a major role in a persons height as well but i dont think its everything. 1st issue is SLEEP children are expected to take nap times during the day and always have a full night of sleep which is 8hours+ for adults and even more for toddlers children and TEENAGERS. teenagers concern doesnt typicaly revolve around growth or health in general with the exception of athletes*. because they like to think of themselves as grown ups starting to make decisions or just busy in general investing their energy on their "future" because what you do during your teenage years can highly influence what will become of you. Pilates also stretches bones and the body catches up with the gap although i am not sure of this. i think it influences your day height and night height.. Going back to the athletes. From observation as i grew up i saw my growth pattern and theirs. I was more attentive about the subject of height because i was falling behind with friends and classmates. My friends who played sports such as soccer tennis and swimming turned out tall. their metabolism was enhanced from the sport and they ate more that me but they burned more aswell. I was active aswell so i did not fall too far behind. Elongation of lower body depended on which sports kids were involved in. the sports i mentioned required running. Also i learned that it is unadvisable for younger kids to start doing straining excersises such as body building as it causes the bones to stop growing because the muscle and weight being put to fragile bone may stop or cause shrinking, In short be physically active routinely but dont strain your body by carrying or pushing heavy objects or other activities as such. Now FOOD there is no specific diet. this is also what i need help with. I do understand the importance of some vitamins and nutrients such as b1 b6 b12 calcium iron protiens amino acids etc.HORMONES a big part relates to this aswell but release depends on mental well being aswell such as mood. I do believe that human growth hormone is released under optimum conditions affected by factors i have listed. For the FOOD i need people who can actually explain to me the building blocks of each food item such as an apple or milk that have strong ties with growth. I know the carbs and protiens. its hard to explain the question i am asking for. I guess i am just tired of yahoo answers list of unproductive talk about "getting taller" I wrote this to share what i know so people can stop asking similar questions and getting similar stupid best answers that say its all about the genes. MY QUESTION IS Can a DOCTOR or someone knowledgeable in the field of anatomy/biology tell us the crucial information about human development i guess but not put it into simple terms such as eat green vegetables/ drink milk. PLEASE evaluate in specific and smaller micro things. For example talk about the Flour and the starches and krebs cycle well just tell me a list of food items and where it ends up in my body composition. I eat an egg=its protien body takes it and uses its molecules to form and repair a cut... Please excuse my grammar and spelling because i am half asleep ranting about this. THANKS to all who respond.

Answer: FOOD+SLEEP+MENTAL & PHYSICAL WELL BEING=Taller? NO All that will make you healthier but will not make you taller, it is all genetic, if your not tall blame your parents, they are the ones that provided you with your genes which determines your height, eye color, hair color. Those you can change with contacts and eye color but that is only superficial. The foods you eat, well I dont really eat all that healthy honestly rather have pizza or steak than carrots and broccoli, I sleep about 5 to 8 hours a day even when I was younger, sometimes less, I'm in decent shape but never really worked out a whole lot. and I'm 6'5" and I used to smoke because I thought that would stunt my growth, I wanted to be shorter since I was taller than most of the people in school, so that is a myth also. Well hoped that I helped you out a little,

Question: Breast cancer and dairy????????? "MILK"Just the word itself sounds comforting! "How about a nice cup of hot milk?" The last time you heard that question it was from someone who cared for you--and you appreciated their effort. The entire matter of food and especially that of milk is surrounded with emotional and cultural importance. Milk was our very first food. If we were fortunate it was our mother's milk. A loving link, given and taken. It was the only path to survival. If not mother's milk it was cow's milk or soy milk "formula"--rarely it was goat, camel or water buffalo milk. Now, we are a nation of milk drinkers. Nearly all of us. Infants, the young, adolescents, adults and even the aged. We drink dozens or even several hundred gallons a year and add to that many pounds of "dairy products" such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. Can there be anything wrong with this? We see reassuring images of healthy, beautiful people on our television screens and hear messages that assure us that, "Milk is good for your body." Our dieticians insist that: "You've got to have milk, or where will you get your calcium?" School lunches always include milk and nearly every hospital meal will have milk added. And if that isn't enough, our nutritionists told us for years that dairy products make up an "essential food group." Industry spokesmen made sure that colourful charts proclaiming the necessity of milk and other essential nutrients were made available at no cost for schools. Cow's milk became "normal." You may be surprised to learn that most of the human beings that live on planet Earth today do not drink or use cow's milk. Further, most of them can't drink milk because it makes them ill. There are students of human nutrition who are not supportive of milk use for adults. Here is a quotation from the March/April 1991 Utne Reader: If you really want to play it safe, you may decide to join the growing number of Americans who are eliminating dairy products from their diets altogether. Although this sounds radical to those of us weaned on milk and the five basic food groups, it is eminently viable. Indeed, of all the mammals, only humans--and then only a minority, principally Caucasians--continue to drink milk beyond babyhood. "Indeed, of all the mammals, only humans--and then only a minority, principally Caucasians--continue to drink milk beyond babyhood. Who is right? Why the confusion? Where best to get our answers? Can we trust milk industry spokesmen? Can you trust any industry spokesmen? Are nutritionists up to date or are they simply repeating what their professors learned years ago? What about the new voices urging caution? I believe that there are three reliable sources of information. The first, and probably the best, is a study of nature. The second is to study the history of our own species. Finally we need to look at the world's scientific literature on the subject of milk. Let's look at the scientific literature first. From 1988 to 1993 there were over 2,700 articles dealing with milk recorded in the "Medicine" archives. Fifteen hundred of theses had milk as the main focus of the article. There is no lack of scientific information on this subject. I reviewed over 500 of the 1,500 articles, discarding articles that dealt exclusively with animals, esoteric research and inconclusive studies. How would I summarize the articles? They were only slightly less than horrifying. First of all, none of the authors spoke of cow's milk as an excellent food, free of side effects and the "perfect food" as we have been led to believe by the industry. The main focus of the published reports seems to be on intestinal colic, intestinal irritation, intestinal bleeding, anemia, allergic reactions in infants and children as well as infections such as salmonella. More ominous is the fear of viral infection with bovine leukemia virus or an AIDS-like virus as well as concern for childhood diabetes. Contamination of milk by blood and white (pus) cells as well as a variety of chemicals and insecticides was also discussed. Among children the problems were allergy, ear and tonsillar infections, bedwetting, asthma, intestinal bleeding, colic and childhood diabetes. In adults the problems seemed centered more around heart disease and arthritis, allergy, sinusitis, and the more serious questions of leukemia, lymphoma and cancer. I think that an answer can also be found in a consideration of what occurs in nature – what happens with free living mammals and what happens with human groups living in close to a natural state as "hunter-gatherers". Our paleolithic ancestors are another crucial and interesting group to study. Here we are limited to speculation and indirect evidences, but the bony remains available for our study are remarkable. There is no doubt whatever that these skeletal remains reflect great strength, muscularity (the size of the muscular insertions show this), and total absence of advanced osteoporosis. And if you feel that these people are not important for us to study, consider that today our genes are programming our bodies in almost exactly the same way as our ancestors of 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. WHAT IS MILK? Milk is a maternal lactating secretion, a short term nutrient for new-borns. Nothing more, nothing less. Invariably, the mother of any mammal will provide her milk for a short period of time immediately after birth. When the time comes for "weaning", the young offspring is introduced to the proper food for that species of mammal. A familiar example is that of a puppy. The mother nurses the pup for just a few weeks and then rejects the young animal and teaches it to eat solid food. Nursing is provided by nature only for the very youngest of mammals. Of course, it is not possible for animals living in a natural state to continue with the drinking of milk after weaning. IS ALL MILK THE SAME? Then there is the matter of where we get our milk. We have settled on the cow because of its docile nature, its size, and its abundant milk supply. Somehow this choice seems "normal" and blessed by nature, our culture, and our customs. But is it natural? Is it wise to drink the milk of another species of mammal? Consider for a moment, if it was possible, to drink the milk of a mammal other than a cow, let's say a rat. Or perhaps the milk of a dog would be more to your liking. Possibly some horse milk or cat milk. Do you get the idea? Well, I'm not serious about this, except to suggest that human milk is for human infants, dogs' milk is for pups, cows' milk is for calves, cats' milk is for kittens, and so forth. Clearly, this is the way nature intends it. Just use your own good judgement on this one. Milk is not just milk. The milk of every species of mammal is unique and specifically tailored to the requirements of that animal. For example, cows' milk is very much richer in protein than human milk. Three to four times as much. It has five to seven times the mineral content. However, it is markedly deficient in essential fatty acids when compared to human mothers' milk. Mothers' milk has six to ten times as much of the essential fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. (Incidentally, skimmed cow's milk has no linoleic acid). It simply is not designed for humans. Food is not just food, and milk is not just milk. It is not only the proper amount of food but the proper qualitative composition that is critical for the very best in health and growth. Biochemists and physiologists - and rarely medical doctors - are gradually learning that foods contain the crucial elements that allow a particular species to develop its unique specializations. Clearly, our specialization is for advanced neurological development and delicate neuromuscular control. We do not have much need of massive skeletal growth or huge muscle groups as does a calf. Think of the difference between the demands make on the human hand and the demands on a cow's hoof. Human new-borns specifically need critical material for their brains, spinal cord and nerves. Can mother's milk increase intelligence? It seems that it can. In a remarkable study published in Lancet during 1992 (Vol. 339, p. 261-4), a group of British workers randomly placed premature infants into two groups. One group received a proper formula, the other group received human breast milk. Both fluids were given by stomach tube. These children were followed up for over 10 years. In intelligence testing, the human milk children averaged 10 IQ points higher! Well, why not? Why wouldn't the correct building blocks for the rapidly maturing and growing brain have a positive effect? In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1982) Ralph Holman described an infant who developed profound neurological disease while being nourished by intravenous fluids only. The fluids used contained only linoleic acid - just one of the essential fatty acids. When the other, alpha linoleic acid, was added to the intravenous fluids the neurological disorders cleared. In the same journal five years later Bjerve, Mostad and Thoresen, working in Norway found exactly the same problem in adult patients on long term gastric tube feeding. In 1930 Dr. G.O. Burr in Minnesota working with rats found that linoleic acid deficiencies created a deficiency syndrome. Why is this mentioned? In the early 1960s pediatricians found skin lesions in children fed formulas without the same linoleic acid. Remembering the research, the addition of the acid to the formula cured the problem. Essential fatty acids are just that and cows' milk is markedly deficient in these when compared to human milk. Snuff smoking is bad, but some comes lung cancer and others do not want to say that smoking is okay?

Answer: This isn't a question it's a rant. From its title, it's clearly a rant from someone lucky enough not to have had breast cancer, since it's always those who haven't had cancer (and lately usually teenagers for some reason) who come on here preaching to the rest of us about how we got it. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had been vegan (ie no dairy, so no milk at all) for 8 years.Avoiding dairy didn't stop me getting breast cancer, it didn't cure me and I'm sure as hell not relying on it to stop recurrences or metastases. Learn some facts about cancer before you come on the cancer forum shouting to people who have had cancer about how they got it. If dairy was the cause of breast cancer I'd still have two breasts.

Question: Please review my Biology homework? I haven't taken a Science class in almost 20 years so this is new to me. Please review my work and tell me if/where I went wrong? (In parentensees) is what I am submitting as the answer. 1) The three subatomic particles of the atom include the (protons), (neutrons), and (electrons). 2) The mass of the atom is found almost entirely in the (nucleus). 3) The subatomic particles that orbit the nucleus are the (electrons). 4) Electrons are found in levels called (electronic) (orbitals). 5) The (valanse) electrons are relative particles of the atoms. 6) Chemical bonds are usually formed by the interactions of the electrons of the (outer / outside) energy levels. 7) Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds form (molecules). Note the (arrangement) of the atoms change. 8) Two types of chemical bonds form most of the molecules in nature. One bond hold atoms together by sharing (covalent bond) and the other hold atoms together by transfering electrons (ionic bond). 9) There are two tpyes of covalent bonds: (non-polar) will share electrons equally while the (polar) will share electrons unequally. 10) When an atom loses electons or gains electrons (atoms becomes electrically charged) an (ion) forms. 11) Because a water molecule has a slightly negative "end" and a slightly positive "end" we refer to it as a (polar) molecule. 12) * was various compounds and their formulas * 13) The most common elements in living matter include: (carbon), (hydrogen), (oxygen), (nitrogen), (calcium). 14) In the universe there are two things: (health - living) and (disease - non living) 15) Energy in the universe flows in the negative subatomic particle called the (electron). 16) List the importances of water and give the importance to living organisms: (Needed six - some of those I have thought of include that "Water is 60% of the human body." Its importance to living things is that "So too is Earth." 17) The (mass, hydrogen) of the water molecules is what gives water its unusual properties. 18) (Hydrogen and Atom) bonds are weak bonds between water molecules. These bonds allow water to keep it molecular integrity when it changes state and also allows it to bond more readily with other substances. 19) An object will usually (dissolve) in water if its density is less than half of water. 20) * was a statement made by the professor * 21) (Hydrodgen ions) are usually ionic, taste sour, and release H ions into water. Their pH is usually low. 22) (pH / Hydrodgen ions, H+) are usually ionic, taste bitter and release OH ions into water. Their pH is usually high. 23) (Salt, Buffers) are substances that help to keep the pH of system within normal limits. (Normal pH of arterial blood 7.3 to 7.45) acid is one such substance in our blood.

Answer: 4. atomic orbitals Don't use the terms electric and electronic when you're talking about electrons. They're related but not in this context. (See 10.) 5. spelling: valence 13. I don't know if I'd put Ca up there. In animals it's up there because of skeletons, but otherwise, P (in DNA) and S (many proteins) are more important. I'm not 100% certain though. C, H, N, O are for sure the tops in any organism, however. 14. odd question. Considering this is all physics, I'm assuming it's supposed to be matter and energy. 16. Water's uniqueness has everything to do with its polarity. It can form hydrogen bonds, is a universal solvent, floats when it's solid, exists in all 3 states of matter on the Earth, cycles, has a high heat capacity and heat of vaporization making it an effective thermoregulator, is abundant...if you want to get more complex you can discuss photosynthesis (which requires water) or respiration (which produces water). See wikipedia entry on water. 17. It's the polarity and bonding (which results from its polarity i.e. polar bonds and hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds are really just a special type of polar bond). 19. The answer is sink or float, you can figure out which one. 21. Acid 22. Bases 23. Buffers. Not salts.