No doubt bound water is hydrogen-bonded to the surface. Perhaps there
is a positively-charged hudrogen on the surface that bonds weakly with
the oxygen of water, which carries a slight negative charge. Or, the
situation could be reversed: the oxygen is part of the surface and
the hydrogen end of the bond is one of the hydrogens of water. In any
case, since the whole water molecule is neutral, the magnitude of the
charge on each hydrogen is only one-half that on the water oxygen.
Water molecules in free water are also hydrogen-bonded to other,
but often the bond strength in bound water-surface is greater.
Because bonding distorts the charge distribution in the molecule and
bonds are of different strength, one could say the two kinds of water
are chemically different. But it would be misleading to say the structure
is different--unless that statement were carefully qualifited.
Russ
______________________________________________________________________
Your message:
>
> To the group:
>
> Is there any chemist or biochemist who can help me with a reference
> to work on so-called "bound water"? Bound water is water occurring
> inside living cells. There has been a claim that somehow bound
> water is chemically different from non-bound water, i.e., water
> occurring outside living cells. Let me be more specific about what
> "bound water" might mean.
>
> (1) Bound water might be water with a chemical structure different
> from non-bound water.
>
> (2) Bound water may be water with the same chemical structure as
> non-bound water, but functioning in a way it never does outside
> living cells.
>
> This question has to do with what are parts and wholes which in
> turn has implications for questions about creation & evolution as
> well as for questions about science and Christianity. Thanks to
> any one who can provide a lead.
>
>
> Dr. Jitse M. van der Meer jmvdm@redeemer.on.ca
> Professor of Biology (905)648-2131
> Director Pascal Centre fax: (905)648-2134
> Redeemer College
> 777 Hwy 53 East
> Ancaster, ON. Canada L9K 1J4
>
______________________________________________________________________
--e-mail: rmaatman@dordt.edu Home address:Russell Maatman 401 Fifth Ave. SE Dordt College Sioux Center, Iowa 51250Sioux Center, Iowa 51250 Home phone: (712) 722-0421