Final answer:
Water's high specific heat capacity is the property that prevents cells from overheating, as it takes a lot of absorbed heat to raise the temperature, aiding in maintaining homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The property of water that prevents cells from overheating during metabolic reactions is its high specific heat capacity. This means that water can absorb a lot of heat before its temperature increases significantly. Due to the hydrogen bonding among water molecules, it takes a considerable amount of added heat to break these bonds and raise the temperature of water. This property contributes to the regulation of temperature within cells, helping to maintain a stable environment (homeostasis) even when metabolic reactions release heat.
Additionally, water has a high heat of vaporization, which is crucial for cooling organisms as it allows for the evaporation of sweat, further aiding in temperature control. The cohesive and adhesive properties of water are essential for the movement of water within organisms, and its ability to dissolve polar molecules makes it an excellent solvent for various biochemical processes. These unique properties of water are intimately connected to the processes of life, and without them, life as we know it would be substantially altered.