Imagine that you are talking with one of your friends. He states that evolution has actually violated the second law of thermodynamics because complex living organisms are more ordered than the nucleic acids, amino acids, and other molecules that compose them. Why doesn't evolution contradict the second law of thermodynamics?
A)Evolution is a biological process, and biological processes do not have to conform to the laws of physics.
B)Because evolution takes place over millions of years, the loss of entropy is negligible and thus the laws of thermodynamics are not violated.
C)Evolution doesn't affect entropy, as living organisms eventually die and become "disordered."
D)Even though evolution may decrease the entropy of living organisms, it increases the entropy of the Earth (or the universe)as organisms release heat.
E)Evolution actually does violate the second law of thermodynamics, and this fact is problematic for scientists.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time. However, this law applies to closed systems, and living organisms are not closed systems. They take in energy from their environment and release heat and waste products, which increases the entropy of the Earth. Therefore, while evolution may appear to decrease the entropy of living organisms, it actually increases the entropy of the universe as a whole.

Imagine That You Are Talking with One of Your Friends