Thermodynamic equilibrium of the biological system

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies thermal energy and the principles of its distribution throughout the volume of matter or a certain medium. This discipline is based on some common universal principles and uses the experimental data of many other sciences. Thermodynamic equilibrium is the cornerstone of this area of scientific knowledge.

One of the most important and perhaps the most specific property of living organisms is their unique ability to transform energy and store it in a variety of forms. Thermodynamic equilibrium is a state of the system in which its parameters and characteristics can not change over time without the impact of any external factors.

That is: a theoretically isolated physical system consisting of one or more physical objects can endlessly remain in a state of balance. If you break the thermodynamic equilibrium, any system will tend to return to its stable state on its own. This is one of the fundamental principles of physics, on which too much is built both in our lives and in nature.

It is easiest to imagine a thermodynamic equilibrium with the example of such a natural human attribute as a thermos with hot tea, which is the same isolated system. Of course, the temperature at any point of the substance (in this case - tea) will be the same. But if you drop the ice cube into the thermos, the thermodynamic equilibrium will instantly be disturbed, since a temperature difference will occur in different parts of the liquid.

In this case, heat transfer will occur from a region of higher temperature towards colder sections, until uniformity of the thermal regime is established throughout the entire volume. When this happens, stability will be restored. So any thermodynamic system works, regardless of its scale and the number of objects from which it consists.

The basic condition of equilibrium, which is the same temperature index at all points of the system, is especially important for living organisms. All biological objects in order to maintain normal life require regular energy intake. All biological processes also need stable heat transfer and its uniform distribution.

For example, plants, accumulating solar energy, transform it into chemical bonds of organic substances through photosynthesis. In the body of animals, everything happens to the exact opposite - organic substances, obtained with food, are converted into energy. All such processes (in representatives of both the plant and animal world) occur in exact accordance with the principles of the thermodynamic system.

The basic concepts of thermodynamics are universal and unshakable both for living biological systems and for inanimate nature. The principles of thermodynamics say that any set of related objects can be called a thermodynamic system. The difference is only in the scales and the number of objects. Examples of such systems are the cells of our body, the heart or other internal organs. The whole organism is also in a sense a thermodynamic system. Even such giant objects as the biosphere, the oceans also belong to this category. And they are subject to the same laws of thermodynamic equilibrium.