Why water is necessary for living organisms ? Explain.
Living organisms need water because it plays a vital role in the reactions taking place within organism's cells and body. Water acts as a universal solvent, providing a medium for the chemical reactions to occur. Substances are also transported from one part of body to the other in the dissolved state. Therefore, it is necessary for the organisms to maintain a distinct level of water within their bodies in order to stay alive. Terrestrial life forms require fresh water because their bodies cannot tolerate or get rid of the high amounts of the dissolved salts in saline water. So, water sources need to be easily accessible to animals and plants to survive on land. Thus, availability of water decides not only the number of individuals of each species that are able to survive in a particular area, but it also decides the diversity of life there.