Final answer:
Cellular chemical reactions rely heavily on inorganic compounds, particularly water, for a variety of functions, including acting as a reactant, facilitating physiological processes, and affecting the solution's acidity or alkalinity. Enzymes, although organic, also play a crucial role in accelerating reactions. This synergy of inorganic elements and complex organic molecules exemplifies the intricate biochemistry fundamental to life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most of the chemical reactions occurring in a living cell depend on the presence of water, one of several crucial inorganic compounds essential to life. Inorganic compounds, comprising about 1%-1.5% of the dry weight of living cells, are pivotal even though they do not form cell structures. Water facilitates numerous functions including acting as a lubricant, a cushion, a heat sink, a component of liquid mixtures, a byproduct of dehydration synthesis reactions, and a necessary reactant in hydrolysis reactions. Other vital inorganic compounds for human functioning are salts, which dissociate into ions in water aiding various physiological processes; acids, which release hydrogen ions (H+) increasing the acidity of solutions; and bases, which accept H+ and therefore decrease the solution's acidity.