Summary
| Subject keyword(s) | Animals, Bacteria, Fungi, Life science, Life Science, Liquids, Physical science, Plants, Properties of materials, Protists, States of matter |
|---|---|
| Grade level | Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Informal Education, Vocational/Professional Development Education |
| Intended audience | Educator, Learner |
| Resource type | Instructional Material |
| Resource format | text, text/html |
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Main navigation | Main content Campuses: Twin Cities Crookston Duluth Morris Rochester Other Locations Go to the U of M Extension home page Search Extension Home Agriculture Crops Agricultural Drainage Climate & Weather Commodity Crops Forages Honey Bees Institute for Agricultural Professionals Pesticide Safety Small Farms Livestock Beef Dairy Horse Manure & Air Quality Meat Science Poultry Small Farms Swine Food Food Safety Education Small Farms Agricultural Business Management Agricultural Business Management Small Farms Commercial Horticulture Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Production Plant & Nursery Health Turfgrass Management Community Community Economics Business Retention & Expansion Customer Service Economic Impact Analysis Festival & Event Management Public Finance Retail Analysis & Development Leadership & Civic Engagement U-Connect U-Facilitate U-Lead Signature Initiatives Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities Farmer-Lender Mediation Horizons Environment Forestry Agroforestry Trees & Woodlands Environmental Science Education Best Practices for Field Days Environmental Science Education Minnesota Master Naturalist White Earth Reservation Academy Water Resources Onsite Sewage Treatment Shoreland Stormwater Housing Housing Technology Family Family Relations Families with Teens Parent Education Parents Forever Food Farm to School Food Safety Simply Good Eating Nutrition, Food & Health Family Resource Management Financial Security in Later Life Latino and East African Financial Literacy Resource Management for Daily Life Youth & Money Housing RentWise Housing Technology Signature Effort Families in Tough Times Food Food Safety Nutrition, Food & Health Farm to School Simply Good Eating Garden Horticulture Yard & Garden Master Gardener Commercial growers Fruit & Vegetable Production Honey Bees in Northern Climates Pesticide Safety Plant & Nursery Health Turfgrass Management Youth About News Support Training & Events Research Minnesota 4-H Contact About Staff Directory Offices: campus, regional, county Extension leadership Advisory committees Extension history Employment/jobs Partners Donate Contact WW-00328 Reviewed 2005 Our World of Water Living Things Depend on Water Water is an essential part of every living thing. Plants use water in deriving some of their nutrients from minerals in the soil. These minerals have to be dissolved in water in order to be absorbed by the plants. This is why a desert can be mineral-rich, yet support very little plant life except during brief rainy periods. To illustrate how much of a plant is actually water, imagine burning a log in a fireplace. The ash that remains after the log is burnt contains nearly all of the nutrients. The greatest part of the log went up the chimney as smoke. This smoke consisted of water vapor and organic material manufactured by the leaves. Not all of the water taken in by the plant remains there. Much is transpired, or given off, by the leaves. At night, little water is lost, but during a hot, dry day there is much water given back to the air. In fact, this is one of the major ways in which water is returned to the atmosphere. For example, an acre of corn (20,000 to 25,000 plants) gives off about 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water each day. Water is taken into the body by eating plants and meats and by drinking beverages. Humans can go for a month without eating but will die in 3 to 5 days without water because our bodies are made up of about 70 percent water. (That is about 15 gallons for an adult.) The body uses water in maintaining its temperature, breathing, digesting food, and lubricating moving joints. EXPERIMENT #6 A quart of water weighs about 34 ounces. A package of soft-drink mix weighs about ¼ ounce. Compare these weight differences by holding a package of soft-drink mix in one hand and a quart of water in the other hand. What does this tell you about the weight percentage of water in soft drinks? Do you think this is also true of other beverages such as coffee, tea, or even milk? Water also is an important ingredient in many of the foods we eat. Look through a cook book and determine how much water is used in many foods such as bread, soup, and oatmeal. Water also is important in preparing foods such as noodles, pot roast, and vegetables. Since water is so important for all living things, you can understand the concern over pollution of any kind. When we refer to pollution we mean the addition of harmful substances that make an undesirable change in the physical state of clean water. Polluted water cannot safely be used by living things because dissolved substances or water-borne disease organisms may interfere with cell chemistry, causing sickness or death. Poor water management encourages pollution. « R E T U R N » Produced by Communication and Educational Technology Services, University ofMinnesota Extension. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact your University of Minnesota Extension office or the Extension Store at (800) 876-8636. Contact | Offices Contact: Offices | Staff directory Farm Information Line AnswerLine Connect with Extension Subscribe to RSS for News Agriculture Agricultural Business Management Agricultural Business Management Small Farms Crops Agricultural Drainage Climate & Weather Commodity Crops Forages Honey Bees Institute for Agricultural Professionals Pesticide Safety Small Farms Livestock Beef Dairy Horse Manure & Air Quality Meat Science Poultry Small Farms Swine Community Community Economics Access E.info Business Retention & Expansion Customer Service Economic Impact Analysis Festival & Event Management Public Finance Retail Analysis & Development Leadership & Civic Engagement Access E.info U-Connect U-Facilitate U-Lead Signature Initiatives Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities Farmer-Lender Mediation Horizons Environment Forestry Agroforestry Trees & Woodlands Environmental Science Education Best Practices for Field Days Environmental Science Education Minnesota Master Naturalist White Earth Reservation Academy Water Resources Onsite Sewage Treatment Shoreland Stormwater Housing Housing Technology Family Family Relations Families with Teens Parent Education Parents Forever Family Resource Management Financial Security in Later Life Latino and East African Financial Literacy Resource Management for Daily Life Youth & Money Housing RentWise Housing Technology Signature Effort Families in Tough Times Food Food Safety Nutrition, Food & Health Farm to School Simply Good Eating Garden Horticulture Yard & Garden Master Gardener Commercial growers Fruit & Vegetable Production Honey Bees in Northern Climates Pesticide Safety Plant & Nursery Health Turfgrass Management Youth About News Support Training & Events Research Minnesota 4-H Contact For Staff Extension About News Offices Contact Store Workshops Employee Intranet Staff Directory © 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. 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