Water is not just a liquid. It is a liquid crystal. The beautiful and familiar crystals that form snowflakes and ice are present in all the water in nature. They are far too tiny to see, but they definitely influence how water works. That is because every water molecule is built like a tiny battery. A dipole. The way that hydrogen and oxygen atoms bind together in water creates a structure that is unique. And it has unique properties that have played a critical role in making life on Earth possible. A dipole is anything that has a positive end and a negative end. This makes water molecules pull and tug on each other. They are constantly vibrating, but the hydrogen bonding that holds water molecules together can build them into geometric shapes called water clusters.