Q. Can the heat capacity of water be taken small or large? What is the biological importance of that characteristic?
Ans.
From Thermology it is define that the quantity of exchanged heat (Q) is same to the mass (m) multiplied by the specific heat of the substance (c) multiplied by the variation of temperature (T), Q = m.c.ΔT., and that heat capacity is Q/T, therefore, m.c. Heat capacity, thus, since it considers mass, relates to a specific body, whereas specific heat relates to the general substance. Thus it is more correct to refer to specific heat in this problem.
Water has a specific heat of 1 cal/g.oC which means that 1oC per gram is modified in its temperature with the addition or subtraction of 1 cal of energy. This is a very prominent value (for example, the specific heat of ethanol is 0,58 cal/g.oC, and mercury, a metal, has a specific heat of 0,033 cal/g. oC) making water an excellent thermal protector against variations of Temperature. Even if sudden external Temperature modification occur; the internal biological conditions are taken steady in organisms which obtain enough water.
High specific heat is important water properties.