When chemical, transport, or mechanical work is done by an organism, what happens to the heat generated?
A) It is used to power yet more cellular work.
B) It is captured to store energy as more ATP.
C) It is used to generate ADP from nucleotide precursors.
D) It is lost to the environment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The heat generated during chemical, transport, or mechanical work is lost to the environment. This is due to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be converted without the loss of some usable energy in the process. Therefore, the heat generated by an organism's work cannot be captured or used to power more cellular work.

When Chemical, Transport, or Mechanical Work Is Done by an Organism