The emergence of life and entropy are interconnected concepts, although their relationship is complex. To understand their connection, let's explore the concept of entropy first.
Entropy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics, which is the study of energy and its transformations. It is often associated with disorder or randomness in a system. In a closed system, entropy tends to increase over time, meaning the system becomes more disordered or dispersed. This is known as the second law of thermodynamics.
The emergence of life, however, seems to contradict the trend of increasing entropy. Living organisms are highly organized and exhibit complexity, which appears to be in contrast to the increase in disorder predicted by the second law of thermodynamics.
The key to understanding this apparent contradiction lies in the broader context of the Earth as an open system. While the second law of thermodynamics applies to closed systems, Earth is an open system that receives a continuous input of energy from the Sun. This influx of energy allows for the local decrease in entropy, enabling the formation and sustenance of organized structures, including life.
Life on Earth is fueled by the energy from the Sun, which is captured through photosynthesis by plants and other organisms. This energy drives biological processes and sustains life's complexity and organization. Organisms are able to maintain their internal order and increase their local organization by exchanging matter and energy with their surroundings while dissipating waste heat into the environment, thus contributing to the overall increase in entropy of the universe.
In summary, while the overall entropy of the universe tends to increase according to the second law of thermodynamics, the emergence and maintenance of life on Earth are enabled by the continuous input of energy from the Sun. This energy flow allows for localized reductions in entropy and the creation of highly organized structures, such as living organisms.