The Laws of Thermodynamics dictate that the universe is constantly becoming more disordered. If this is truly the case, then how have life forms as ordered as the ones here on earth possibly come to exist? The universe’s relentless drift toward pure chaos poses quite a challenge to the order that is life, but by using concepts of thermodynamics and biophysics, life forms continue to subsist. Life itself is in a perpetual struggle with the Laws of Thermodynamics that both are the foundation for it, and what will eventually bring it to its end.
First, it is important to give a brief introduction of the concept of energy to then fathom the topics of thermodynamics, entropy, and enthalpy, and their relation to biology. Energy is a seemingly intuitive …show more content…
This poses a problem for life, since organisms rely on these energy conversions and transfers to subsist in an environment with finite energy resources. Inefficiency is insignificant for small, single-celled organisms since they use a minuscule amount of energy resources, but as life forms have begun to evolve into large, heterotrophic, and complex organisms, their levels of energy waste created by inefficiency has added up. In actions, such as movement and metabolism, which are necessary for large, multicellular organisms, energy is released as thermal energy, a low-quality and less useful form of energy compared to other forms of energy. This waste of energy means that an organism must exploit more of its finite energy source to carry out it vital cellular processes. Life forms have manipulated this by using the “wasted” thermal energy to keep themselves at a homeostatic temperature. Living things on earth must stay at an optimal temperature so that their internal enzymes and proteins may function at a maximum rate, so using the inefficiencies of energy transfer and conversion to stay at a homeostatic temperature saves the organism from having to live in an environment that is at its optimal temperature. Animals with this ability are called endotherms, and these organisms are much more resilient to changing temperature and weather when …show more content…
In everyday life, we do not see boulders roll up hills spontaneously; some work must be put in to move a boulder against the pull of gravity. The Second Law provides an answer as to why these actions do not spontaneously occur, and why other actions do spontaneously occur. In a few words, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the entropy of the universe can only ever increase. In the world of statistics, entropy is the state of highest uncertainty, or disorder, while enthalpy, its opposite, is the state of highest certainty, or order. Consequently, the universe is continually drifting toward absolute entropy. Another way to state the Second Law is this: energy can only be transferred from systems of high energy to systems of low energy. The heat between a hot kettle and room temperature air flows in the direction of the air until the two are at equilibrium. In other words, systems prefer to stay at a point of lowest potential energy. The two challenges seemingly posed by the Second Law toward life’s existence is that life cannot spontaneously exist in a universe bent on total disorder, and that eventually, because of the universe’s race to entropy, life will be unable to
First, it is important to give a brief introduction of the concept of energy to then fathom the topics of thermodynamics, entropy, and enthalpy, and their relation to biology. Energy is a seemingly intuitive …show more content…
This poses a problem for life, since organisms rely on these energy conversions and transfers to subsist in an environment with finite energy resources. Inefficiency is insignificant for small, single-celled organisms since they use a minuscule amount of energy resources, but as life forms have begun to evolve into large, heterotrophic, and complex organisms, their levels of energy waste created by inefficiency has added up. In actions, such as movement and metabolism, which are necessary for large, multicellular organisms, energy is released as thermal energy, a low-quality and less useful form of energy compared to other forms of energy. This waste of energy means that an organism must exploit more of its finite energy source to carry out it vital cellular processes. Life forms have manipulated this by using the “wasted” thermal energy to keep themselves at a homeostatic temperature. Living things on earth must stay at an optimal temperature so that their internal enzymes and proteins may function at a maximum rate, so using the inefficiencies of energy transfer and conversion to stay at a homeostatic temperature saves the organism from having to live in an environment that is at its optimal temperature. Animals with this ability are called endotherms, and these organisms are much more resilient to changing temperature and weather when …show more content…
In everyday life, we do not see boulders roll up hills spontaneously; some work must be put in to move a boulder against the pull of gravity. The Second Law provides an answer as to why these actions do not spontaneously occur, and why other actions do spontaneously occur. In a few words, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the entropy of the universe can only ever increase. In the world of statistics, entropy is the state of highest uncertainty, or disorder, while enthalpy, its opposite, is the state of highest certainty, or order. Consequently, the universe is continually drifting toward absolute entropy. Another way to state the Second Law is this: energy can only be transferred from systems of high energy to systems of low energy. The heat between a hot kettle and room temperature air flows in the direction of the air until the two are at equilibrium. In other words, systems prefer to stay at a point of lowest potential energy. The two challenges seemingly posed by the Second Law toward life’s existence is that life cannot spontaneously exist in a universe bent on total disorder, and that eventually, because of the universe’s race to entropy, life will be unable to