Practice question · Multiple choice
Living cells continuously assemble ordered macromolecules, yet this does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. Why is this local decrease in entropy permissible?
Hints
- Where does the boundary between the cell and the universe lie?
- How does the release of heat to the surroundings balance a local decrease in disorder?
Show the answer
A. The cell exports sufficient entropy to the environment
Why
Confusing the system with the universe leads to the mistaken belief that biological order defies physics; cells remain non-isolated systems whose metabolic heat dissipation ensures a net increase in total universal entropy.
Practise Entropy and the Second Law
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