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According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide_bond , when a peptide bond is made a water molecule is released as a secondary product.

So, my question is simple (perhaps silly). Considering that proteins are being made every time in our organisms and this water molecule is being released in every peptide bond, why our bodies are not flooded of water?

Thanks!

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The simple answer is that there are literally thousands of chemical reactions (mediated by enzymes) going on in the cell. Some produce H2O, others consume it. For example, when proteins are broken down into their individual amino acids as part of normal turnover in the cell, a water molecule is necessary to break the peptide bond. Therefore, the overall balance of water produced vs. water consumed is fairly equal, especially when you take into consideration the consumption of water and its excretion via urine and sweat.

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  • $\begingroup$ I was thinking about this recently and I'd be curious if there was ever any study into the net water usage or production in a cell. $\endgroup$
    – canadianer
    Nov 18, 2014 at 19:24
  • $\begingroup$ @canadianer I suppose it would depend on the cell type and what it's doing. An active muscle cell hydrolyzing ATP at a rapid clip would probably be different than an inactive neuron, for example. $\endgroup$
    – MattDMo
    Nov 18, 2014 at 19:34

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