WaterWater is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, and it is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a solvent). It is vital for all known forms of life, despite not providing food energy, or organic micronutrients. Its chemical formula, , indicates that each of its molecules contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, connected by covalent bonds.
Structural biologyStructural biology is a field that is many centuries old which, as defined by the Journal of Structural Biology, deals with structural analysis of living material (formed, composed of, and/or maintained and refined by living cells) at every level of organization. Early structural biologists throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries were primarily only able to study structures to the limit of the naked eye's visual acuity and through magnifying glasses and light microscopes.
Molecular autoionizationIn chemistry, molecular autoionization (or self-ionization) is a chemical reaction between molecules of the same substance to produce ions. If a pure liquid partially dissociates into ions, it is said to be self-ionizing. In most cases the oxidation number on all atoms in such a reaction remains unchanged. Such autoionization can be protic (hydron (chemistry)H+ transfer), or non-protic. Protic solvents often undergo some autoionization (in this case autoprotolysis): 2 H2O H3O+ + OH- The self-ionization of water is particularly well studied, due to its implications for acid-base chemistry of aqueous solutions.
