How Living Things Reverse the Flow of Entropy?

“Living things avoid decay into disorder and equilibrium”

Erwin Schrödinger

Background

Biological creatures, from a physics perspective, can be seen as entities that tend to avoid disorder and equilibrium, and also relatively tend to reverse the flow of entropy.

Entropy is a measure of disorder in a system. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy in an isolated system always increases over time. This means that systems tend to become more disordered over time.

However, biological creatures are not isolated systems. They constantly exchange energy and matter with their environment. By using energy from their environment, biological creatures can maintain a high degree of order within their bodies. This is why biological creatures are often described as “islands of low entropy” in a sea of high entropy.

In addition to maintaining a low entropy within their bodies, biological creatures can also reverse the flow of entropy in a small way. For example, when a plant uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugar, it is creating a more ordered system (the sugar molecule) from a less ordered system (the carbon dioxide and water molecules).

Of course, biological creatures also produce entropy. For example, when a plant respires, it breaks down sugar molecules to release energy. This process produces carbon dioxide and water molecules, which are less ordered than the sugar molecules.

However, the overall effect of biological creatures is to reduce entropy in the world. This is because biological creatures are constantly using energy from their environment to create and maintain ordered systems.

Entropy, disorder, and equilibrium

the diversity of temporal, spatial, and structural patterns in complex systems is related to entropy, disorder, and equilibrium. Entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system. The more disordered a system is, the higher its entropy. The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. This means that all isolated systems will eventually reach a state of maximum entropy, which is a state of complete disorder.

Complex systems are not isolated systems. They are constantly exchanging energy and matter with their surroundings. This means that the entropy of complex systems can both increase and decrease over time. However, the second law of thermodynamics still applies to complex systems. This means that the overall entropy of the universe, which includes all complex systems, will always increase over time.

The diversity of temporal, spatial, and structural patterns in complex systems can be explained using the physics entropy approach. For example, the traffic patterns in a city are complex because there are many different factors that influence them, such as the number of cars on the road, the speed of the cars, and the behavior of the drivers. This complexity leads to a high degree of disorder in the traffic patterns.

However, the traffic patterns in a city are not completely random. There are certain rules and regulations that drivers must follow, such as traffic lights and stop signs. These rules and regulations help to create some order in the traffic patterns. However, the order is not perfect, because drivers sometimes violate the rules or make mistakes. This leads to a dynamic balance between order and disorder in the traffic patterns.

The physics entropy approach can be used to study other complex systems as well, such as the behavior of a flock of birds or the spread of a disease through a population. In each case, the complexity of the system leads to a high degree of disorder. However, there are also some forces that create order in the system. The dynamic balance between order and disorder is what gives rise to the diversity of temporal, spatial, and structural patterns in complex systems.

Biological creatures or living things tend to reverse all of these?

Biological creatures or living things tend to reverse entropy, disorder, and equilibrium relative to their own by using energy to create and maintain order. This is done through a variety of processes, including

• Metabolism: Metabolism is the process by which living things convert food into energy and use that energy to build and maintain new cells and tissues. This process requires a constant input of energy, which helps to keep the organism’s entropy low.
  
• Reproduction: Reproduction is the process by which living things create new individuals of their own species. This process requires the creation of new cells and tissues, which requires a constant input of energy. This helps to keep the organism’s entropy low and to maintain the order of its genetic information.
  
• Adaptation: Adaptation is the process by which living things change over time to better suit their environment. This process is driven by natural selection, which favors organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in their environment. Adaptation helps to keep the organism’s entropy low by allowing it to maintain order in the face of changing environmental conditions.

In addition to these processes, living things also reverse entropy, disorder, and equilibrium by creating complex structures, such as cells, tissues, and organs. These structures are highly ordered and require a constant input of energy to maintain their order. Additionally, here is a more detailed explanation of how living things reverse entropy relative to their own bodies:

• Synthesis of complex molecules: Living things use energy to synthesize complex molecules such as proteins and enzymes from simpler molecules. This process is called anabolism. Anabolic reactions are endergonic, meaning that they require energy input. The energy used in anabolism is typically obtained from the breakdown of food molecules.

The synthesis of complex molecules reduces entropy because it creates ordered molecules from more disordered molecules. For example, the amino acids that make up proteins are more disordered than the proteins themselves. When amino acids are synthesized into proteins, the entropy of the system decreases.

• Building and maintaining complex structures: Living things use energy to build and maintain complex structures such as cells, tissues, and organs. This process is called morphogenesis. Morphogenesis is a complex process that involves many different genes and proteins.

The building and maintaining of complex structures reduces entropy because it creates ordered structures from more disordered molecules. For example, the molecules in a cell are more disordered than the cell itself. When molecules are assembled into cells, the entropy of the system decreases.

• Storing energy: Living things use energy to store energy in molecules such as ATP. ATP is a molecule that can be used to power many different cellular activities. When ATP is synthesized from ADP and phosphate, energy is stored in the molecule.

The storage of energy in ATP reduces entropy because it creates a molecule that can be used to power ordered processes. When ATP is used to power a cellular activity, the entropy of the system increases. However, the overall effect is to reduce entropy within the living thing itself, because the energy stored in ATP is used to create and maintain order.

However, living things do not actually violate the second law of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. Living things are not isolated systems. They constantly exchange energy and matter with their surroundings. This means that the total entropy of the universe, which includes all living things, is always increasing. However, living things can locally decrease their entropy by using energy to create and maintain order.

The flow of Entropy as a way to differentiate living things and dead stuff?

The indicators of order, entropy, and energy flow can be used to help define the difference between living and dead things. Living things are highly ordered systems that constantly exchange energy with their environment to maintain their order and reverse the flow of entropy. Dead things, on the other hand, are less ordered systems that are not able to maintain their order or reverse the flow of entropy.

For example, a living plant is a highly ordered system. It has a complex structure with many different parts, such as leaves, roots, and stems. The plant is also able to maintain its order by using energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugar. This process creates a more ordered system (the sugar molecule) from a less ordered system (the carbon dioxide and water molecules).

A dead plant, on the other hand, is a less ordered system. It no longer has the ability to maintain its order, and it will eventually decompose into its constituent parts. The decomposition process is an example of the second law of thermodynamics in action. Entropy is increasing, and the order of the system is decreasing.

Reference

• Schrödinger, E. (1944). What is life? The physical aspect of the living cell. Cambridge University Press.
• Voet, D., Voet, J. G., & Pratt, C. W. (2016). Fundamentals of Biochemistry: Life at the molecular level (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.