Bradley Zartman

Biology 121-103

There are many molecular forces that act between molecules, atoms, and

ions. One of the most important molecular forces for life on Earth is the hydrogen

bond (The Adapa Project, 2015). When two molecules (one being hydrogen) are

attracted to each other based on opposite partial charges, it is considered a

hydrogen bond. A hydrogen bond is relatively weak in relation to ionic and covalent

bonds. The more hydrogen bonds there are, the stronger they become though. This

can be shown with the example of water. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for the

surface tension of water, aid in adhesion and cohesion, are key in the expansion of

water when it freezes to allow aquatic life, and give water a much higher boiling

point than other liquids (The Adapa Project, 2015). A water molecule by itself is

very weak and doesn’t provide much benefit to the Earth, but when water molecules

hydrogen bond to each other, they are stronger and more beneficial (The Adapa

Project, 2015). Hydrogen bonding determines the shapes of many molecules such as

carbohydrates. It is responsible for determining the properties and functions of

many molecules, proteins, and macromolecules (The Adapa Project, 2015). In

cellular processes, hydrogen bonding is the main reason “self-assembling

membranes” are even a possibility (The Adapa Project, 2015). Hydrogen bonds may

just be simple and weak bonds, but they are essential to life on Earth. Hydrogen

bonds are key in so many things from being essential to many properties of water,

to holding DNA strands together.

Works Cited

The Adapa Project, What are hydrogen bonds?,

http://adapaproject.org/bbk_ su/3B&runline.php. Accessed

12/10/2015.

The Adapa Project, What are hydrogen bonds?, https://adapaproject.org/bbk_su/tiki-

index.php?page=Leaf+5%3A+What+are+hydrogen+bonds%3F&structure=Tree

%3A+Bio+121+-+5&page_ref_id=3097 , Accessed 12/10/2015.