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How are evolution of complex organisms compatible with the second law of thermodynamics?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
The second law requires that any natural process increase the entropy of the UNIVERSE. It is pretty obvious that plenty of natural processes decrease entropy locally while increasing it on a more macroscopic level. Very complex assemblies are created naturally all the time, but the creation of the complex assemblies always comes at a cost of increasing the entropy of the universe.
With that said, remember that thermodynamics does not account for the effect of intelligence. If you want to ponder on that a bit, go do some reasearch on "Maxwell's demon". Various ideas have been suggested to account for intelligence in thermodynamic terms, but so far thermodyamics is essentially silent on intelligence except in very, very limited frames like the operation of computers. It neither supports or disproves the assertions of athiests and "believers".
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoNo because the process of creating that organization creates more entropy in the surroundings than any reduction in entropy represented by the organization of the coyote. If the coyote were a closed system with no energy exchanged across the boundaries (which it isn't), then we might consider it a violation of the 2nd law.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoAs a consequence of growing, organisms create more disorder in their environment than the decrease in entropy associated with their growth
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What is generally accepted as the origin of living organisms?
Prebiotic chemical evolution gave rise to progressively more complex molecules and eventually to living organisms
What role did thee appearance of the ozone layer play in the evolution of early life?
Ozone played a vital rose after appearance. It led to evolution of complex organisms.
What was the significance of the development of chloroplasts?
The development of chloroplasts led to the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere, which allowed the evolution of more complex oxygen-breathing organisms.
How could evolution of aerobic respiration have permitted evolution of more complex organisms?
An oxygen-based metabolism provides more energy than an anaerobic metabolism, allowing for a larger volume-to-surface ratio of organisms. So organisms could grow larger, allowing their tissues to specialize in various ways, which means increasing complexity.
How does viral evolution support the theory of evolution?
Because viruses are single-cell organisms, they can mutate (evolve) quicker than complex, multi-cell organisms, where evolution gradually happens over time spans that humans can hardly fathom. Viral mutations give evolutionary biologists the opportunity to observe the process within timespans a human being can grasp. It not only supports the theory of evolution, but confirms it with demonstrable evidence.
Is the process of change that occurs during an organisms life to produce a more complex organism.?
evolution
What is generally accepted as the origin of living organisms?
Prebiotic chemical evolution gave rise to progressively more complex molecules and eventually to living organisms
What role did thee appearance of the ozone layer play in the evolution of early life?
Ozone played a vital rose after appearance. It led to evolution of complex organisms.
What was the significance of the development of chloroplasts?
The development of chloroplasts led to the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere, which allowed the evolution of more complex oxygen-breathing organisms.
What was the significance of the development of chloroplast?
The development of chloroplasts led to the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere, which allowed the evolution of more complex oxygen-breathing organisms.
What role did cyanbacteria play in the evolution of life on earth?
The role of raising atmospheric oxygen to so high a level that multicellular and complex organisms could evolve. Oxidative phosphorylation generates the energy through ATP that larger and more complex organisms need.
Does evolution optimize the quality of life?
No. Evolution is the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms. Things, generally, not always, tend to get more complex, but " optimize the quality of life " has no biological meaning.
What is the order of evolution from the simplest to most complex?
The earliest cells came before the most complex organisms existing today. :]
Why did the earliest organims in the fossil record start off single celled?
It took many years of evolution for complex, multi-celled organisms to develop. Single celled organisms were the first that were around to be fossilized.
How could evolution of aerobic respiration have permitted evolution of more complex organisms?
An oxygen-based metabolism provides more energy than an anaerobic metabolism, allowing for a larger volume-to-surface ratio of organisms. So organisms could grow larger, allowing their tissues to specialize in various ways, which means increasing complexity.
How does Lamarck explain that organisms have a tendency to adapt and improve yet throughout the world the lowest forms of life still exist?
Obviously he was wrong. Organisms evolve, Evolution is not progressive, does not plan for the future and is not linear. The average tendency is for organisms to become more complex, but someone forgot to tell barnacles and tape worms, among others, as they have got less complex. Evolution is only change over time and Lamarck was wrong about ' improvements. '
How has the heart developed and changed as organisms have become more complex?
There is no evidence that the heart has developed and changed as organisms have become more complex over time. Scientists do believe that the human heart is a product of evolution and has spent millions of years perfecting itself in order to keep humans alive.
