Water is essential to life on Earth: its unique physi­cal and chemical properties act to protect living systems and are necessary to the struc­ture and function of cells. One unusual charac­teristics of water is that despite its low molecular weight, it is a liquid at most environmental temperatures. Other molecules having similar molecular weights, ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide, are gases. Develop a logical explanation for water's existence as primarily a liquid in living systems. All BUT ONE response could apply. A) Water has the highest specific heat capacity of any liquid due to its polarity.

B) To change state, much heat energy must either be added or removed to change the nature of the hydrogen bonding.

C) The property of high specific heat capacity allows highly regulated internal body temperatures for all organisms.

D) Water has a high heat of fusion as well as a high heat of vaporization as a result of the hydrogen bonding among molecules.