Why Do We Care About Water on Mars?

Because water is a vital molecule for all living species on Earth. Despite the discovery of a high amount of ionizing radiation, very high or low temperature, and living things that can survive under high pressure conditions, a life form in which water is not required yet has not been found. For example, plants produce nutrients by converting hydrogen in water into sugar. However, it is not enough to find water when investigating whether there is life outside the world. In addition, the water must be in liquid form. For this reason, NASA's Kepler is looking for planets like Earth, where water can be found in liquid form on the surface of the spacecraft.

From the atoms that make up the water, oxygen attracts electrons used in bond formation more strongly than hydrogen atoms. Therefore, water has a polar structure and many substances can be dissolved in water. Due to this feature, water is an important part of the circulatory system in living organisms and provides a suitable environment for the transport of nutrients, elements and gases necessary for the body. Also, many biochemical compounds such as sugars, amino acids, proteins are water-soluble. Without biochemical processes involving these compounds, an organism cannot survive. Since water is a good solvent, it is an indispensable part of these processes (for example, photosynthesis, digestion, respiration).