Here we will be discussing Water And its Usage in the biology chapter from the online biology experts
Water And its Usage
Water, as described earlier is an essential part of our life. We need water for drinking and cooking purposes. Additionally, water is required by plants for agricultural use. Industries and domestic animals around us also consume water. Other than this, we require water to maintain a hygienic environment on a daily basis, for cleaning and washing purposes.
These activities indicate that we require enough water for our daily needs. Water present in the sea and ocean cannot be used for daily needs as they are saline in nature. Hence, some sources of fresh water we find around us are ponds, lakes, streams, and brooks. However, it’s interesting to ask, where that water comes from in the first place.
Water cycle – Part 1:
Our ecosystem contributes to the water cycle significantly. Water present in wet-washed clothes is evaporated when dried under the sun. An explanation for this is that water under heat (Sun) is converted to water vapor and thus evaporated. Evaporation is a slow process. Similarly, water from the sea and oceans are also evaporated sans the salinity/salt.
Evaporation of water can occur in closed areas as well. This is due to the warm air present in the surroundings which helps in converting the water to water vapor. Another source of water vapor is planting. Plants lose excess water through the process of transpiration. This water vapor either by evaporation or transpiration is added to the air around us. This is the first step in the water cycle.
Surely, we all must have noticed drops of water on the outside of glass or cans containing chilled liquid within. This is due to the condensation of air present around the liquid-containing glass. In this process, condensation plays a significant role in bringing back the water that has been evaporated in the first place. As we go high up in the air, the atmosphere becomes cooler.
The water vapor at such heights condenses and becomes tiny droplets of water. These water droplets come together to form a cloud. With the addition of more droplets, the clouds become heavy and pour on the earth in the form of rain. Thus, water in the form of water vapor and transpiration comes back in the form of rain, hailstones, or snow.
Conclusion:
The water cycle thus is very significant in supplying water to the earth, without which life is impossible. Thus, in the next section, we will see how this rainwater can be put to use and how can we conserve it.