What is the primary function of water in the human body?

[horristtm23]

I guess I have a couple questions in one with this post.

I just started an online course on anatomy tonight and upon bringing up the composition of bone the teacher made sure everyone knew that collagen fiber & crystalyzed mineral salts were organic material & inorganic material. The given values of composition were 15% water, 30 percent collagen, and 55% min. salt. How does the nonpolar fiber bind with the water and salt (or what I should look into to expand my understanding). My first thought is that the water and salt bond to make a nonpolar compound(?), that then binds with the collagen.

On to the actual post question: I was thinking about how water seems to be kind of a good bonding agent in cooking (and the body?), but also when acidic it is a good conductor, and the specific heat thing is really good for temperature regulation, and it's also really good for pressurization (in conjunction with the lungs?).

I'm curious what everyone's opinions on the hierarchy of water's functions in the body are, and why you think that. The substance is pretty multifaceted, I know

[CharonY]

Water is the universal solvent in which all the biochemistry relevant to life happens.

[xdxd]

you need it to keep you hydrated and stops your cells from shrinking.

water is used for hydrolysis reactions in the body- digestion which is essential for glucose formation for aerobic respiration, if it has to use anerobic respiration, it can lead to lactic acidosis

also you need water to stop you from having hypotension (low blood pressure)

less water in the blood means that there will be a lower hematocrit and according to virvhow's triad (hypercoagulability, stasis, reduction in blood flow (stasis)), it will make a thrombus more likely

water also plays a key role in internal body temperature regulation