The temperature of liquid water rises and falls more slowly than that of most other liquids. Water has a high heat of vaporization. Hydrogen bonds between water molecules require a large amount of heat to break. When animals sweat, evaporation of the sweat takes away body heat, thus cooling the animal. Water is universal solvent, facilitates chemical reactions both outside of and within living systems.
Water is a universal solvent because it dissolves a great number of solutes.
Ionized or polar molecules attracted to water are hydrophilic. Nonionized and nonpolar molecules that cannot attract water are hydrophobic . Water molecules are cohesive and adhesive. Cohesion allows water to flow freely without molecules separating, due to hydrogen bonding. Water rises up tree from roots to leaves through small tubes.