I just don't get it. Could you please try to explain in simple terms
2006-09-16 09:06:09 · 5 answers · asked by wo 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The entropy of a particular system such as an organism, may decrease as long as the total energy of the universe (the system plus its surroundings) increases. Organisms are islands of low energy in a increasingly random universe.
I made a better answer
2006-09-16 10:04:23 · update #1
Try to think of an organism as producing order and entropy measures disorder (which tends to go to a maximum). Even Schrodiger, who was a profound thinker about these things, wrote a book saying that life might be considered to make 'negative entropy' so you've asked a really good question.
The textbook answer is that the universe's entropy has to be increasing, but there can be local decreases in entropy. Where anything living is, the entropy is decreased. But the living thing creates so much havoc and disorder among the items it uses for food, housing, etc that the overall entropy increases. OK, then is there a maximum amount of life, because if not, what will there be to disorder so that I can create my own order? I think this text answer is not a complete answer, but it's what you get!
2006-09-16 11:01:20 · answer #1 · answered by Lorelei 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says that the entropy (disorder) of a closed system can only increase. The earth is not a "closed system" ... it has an external energy source, the sun. Therefore it is not a violation of the 2nd Law that order would increase in living systems on the earth.
Or if you prefer, the earth-sun system is (for the most part) a closed system. But the consumption of hydrogen in the core of the sun is a MASSIVE thermodynamic increase in the entropy of the sun. So there is more than enough to compensate for the decrease in entropy (increase in order) on the earth.
2006-09-16 09:09:20 · answer #2 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One way of looking at it might be to say that the organisms expend energy to counter the force of entropy while they are alive. When life energy expenditure ceases, entropy takes over and the physical organism decays.
2006-09-16 09:26:39 · answer #3 · answered by Traveller 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their rate of entropy production is very, very low.
2006-09-16 09:09:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
wow. That's cool. I ain't got a clue what youre talking about...
2006-09-16 09:19:45 · answer #5 · answered by mxzptlk 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋