Final answer:
Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same substance and is pivotal for water's surface tension, while adhesion is the attraction between different substances, essential for capillary action. These forces are crucial for plant survival, the movement of insects on water surfaces, and the formation of bacterial colonies and biofilms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cohesion refers to the attractive force between molecules of the same substance, which notably contributes to water's surface tension. Adhesion describes the attraction between water molecules and other types of substances, which is crucial for processes like capillary action. Together, cohesion and adhesion are essential for the transport of water and minerals in plants, as they enable water to move up from the roots to the leaves — a process vital for plant survival. Additionally, cohesion allows insects such as the water strider to walk on water due to the surface tension created.
In the context of biological systems, cohesion helps keep water molecules together, which is necessary for the efficient transport of nutrients and waste in living organisms. Adhesion, on the other hand, allows organisms to interact with their environments, such as when plant roots adhere to soil particles, helping with stability and nutrient uptake. These properties are also significant in the human body for processes like the transportation of blood through capillary action.
Cohesion and adhesion play a role in maintaining ecosystems and supporting various forms of life on Earth. For instance, they facilitate the formation of bacterial colonies and biofilms, where cohesion aids in keeping the colony intact, and adhesion ensures cells to stick to each other and surfaces. This is fundamental for the survival and proliferation of microbial life.