BSC 2010C Chapter 2: Bio Notes - Solvents
Document Summary
Solvents are substances that have the ability to dissolve other substances, known as solutes, to form a solution. Solvents can be found in many different forms in biology, including water, ethanol, and various organic solvents. One of the most important solvents in biology is water. Water is a polar solvent, meaning that it has a partial positive charge on one end of the molecule and a partial negative charge on the other end. This polarity allows water to dissolve many ionic and polar substances, such as salts and sugars, as well as polar molecules like amino acids and nucleotides. Another important solvent in biology is ethanol, which is commonly used in laboratory settings to dissolve nonpolar substances, such as lipids and oils. Ethanol is a relatively nonpolar solvent, which means that it has a similar polarity to many nonpolar molecules.
