The three Laws of Thermodynamics govern the universe and
everything it contains. These three laws are fundamental to our understanding
of the universe, and in this particular case they help us to understand the
various biological processes.
The First Law states that the total energy of the universe
is always constant. Energy could neither be created nor destroyed, it could only
be transformed. This is also known as the Law of conservation of energy.
The Second Law states that in any open system the total
entropy always increases, in simpler terms the universe is always becoming more
chaotic, disorderly.
The Third Law states that at all motion stops at when
temperature reaches absolute zero, the entropy would also be zero.
When understanding metabolisms only the first two laws are
of interest to us.
Every metabolic process
whether it is hunting for food, cellular respiration, or reproducing offspring
requires energy. Since energy could not be created at will according to the
First Law, organisms must obtain energy from somewhere. Plants take light energy
from the sun and transform it into chemical energy in the form of
carbohydrates. Animals take the chemical energy stored in plant and transform
it into kinetic energy and heat. The First Law of Thermodynamics explains why I
need to eat in order to do anything, but why do I need energy when I am not
moving, not thinking, not digesting? This is where the Second Law of Thermodynamics
comes in. Every spontaneous event always increases the entropy of the system, which
means the entropy level in our body always increases just by existing in the
universe. This means our body gets more disorganized, our cells breakdown, and we
age. Our body is like a china plate, and time, which could be understood as
increase in entropy is like a hammer that breaks the plate. The plate shatters into
many pieces as it follows the Second Law of Thermodynamics. We try to glue the
pieces back together but no matter how hard we try the plate would not return
to its unbroken state. As time goes on and the plate is shattered again and
again, it will eventually reach a state beyond repair. Our body is constantly undergoing
wear and tear and it is constantly being repaired which of course requires
energy and nutrient. Just like the china plate our body will reach its limit
one day and then we die. Just as a side note this is also the reason why our
universe will end in 500 billion years. But what can you do, it is the way of
the universe.
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