{"id":3746,"date":"2025-05-12T09:35:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T21:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/?p=3746"},"modified":"2025-05-19T23:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:04:31","slug":"is-life-in-equilibrium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/is-life-in-equilibrium\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Life in Equilibrium?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"297\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-297x300.jpg\" alt=\"Is Life in Equilibrium?\" class=\"wp-image-1863\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-1015x1024.jpg 1015w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-768x775.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-1522x1536.jpg 1522w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Earth_001-2029x2048.jpg 2029w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Is Life in Equilibrium?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8216;Is Life in Equilibrium?&#8217; is Part Six <strong>of our \u2018Life\u2019<\/strong> <strong>Series<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, Is Life in Equilibrium?, we continue our series on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/science-topics\/l-science-topics\/#life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Life<\/a>\u201d and our discussion of the ideas in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gxWa6M0BjQM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andy Pross<\/a>\u2018s recent book, \u201cWhat is Life?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pross introduced us to the idea that life&#8217;s organized complexity represents a thermodynamic puzzle. But related to that <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evolution_of_biological_complexity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complexity<\/a> is another aspect of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">life<\/a>&#8216;s nature that is troubling with regards the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Second_law_of_thermodynamics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Second Law of Thermodynamics<\/a> &#8211; this is life&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoht.info\/page\/Far-from-equilibrium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">far-from-equilibrium state<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Hovering Bird<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Pross gives the example of a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bird\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bird<\/a> hovering in the air, maintaining an almost stationary position by flapping its <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bird_flight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wings<\/a>. The bird is in an unstable state. In order to maintain its hovering, and not drop to the ground, it must expend energy to flap its wings. By constantly flapping its wings, the bird is able to push air downwards to balance the pull of gravity on its body mass.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Calypte_anna_San_Francisco.jpg\" alt=\"hovering bird\" class=\"wp-image-3765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Calypte_anna_San_Francisco.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Calypte_anna_San_Francisco-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Calypte_anna_San_Francisco-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hovering bird<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maintaining a Cell State Needs Energy<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The hovering bird is just one example of life&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.mit.edu\/life-away-from-equilibrium\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">far-from-equilibrium state<\/a>; Pross goes on to describe the energetics of a bacterial cell. The cell is also unstable from thermodynamic point of view as the bacterial cell must constantly expend energy to maintain its cellular state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dissolving Table Salt in Water<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>He quotes the example of the existence and maintenance of ion concentration gradients in living cells. If you were to dissolve some table salt, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sodium_chloride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NaCl<\/a>, in water, the crystals of salt break up into sodium ions, Na+, and chlorine ions, Cl-. Initially, the concentration of these ions would be greatest where the salt crystals were introduced into the water. But gradually the ions would distribute themselves evenly throughout the volume of water by the natural action of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chm.uri.edu\/wp4\/wp-content\/uploads\/userfileuploads\/dfreeman\/diffusion_2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diffusion<\/a> and an equilibrium would be reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Another Example of the Second Law of Thermodynamics<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another example of the Second Law where an initially unstable system (salt ions concentrated at the site of the introduction of the salt crystals into the water) becomes a stable system (salt ions evenly distributed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chm.uri.edu\/wp4\/wp-content\/uploads\/userfileuploads\/dfreeman\/diffusion_2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diffusion<\/a> throughout the whole volume of liquid).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ion Concentration Gradients<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, living cells have inherently unstable <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electrochemical_gradient#Ion_gradients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ion concentration gradients<\/a> that are essential for many physiological functions. The difference in ion concentration between the interior and exterior of a cell is termed an ion concentration gradient. This gradient is maintained over time by the cell in defiance of the Second Law.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Membrane_potential_ions_en.svg_.png\" alt=\"ion concentration gradient\" class=\"wp-image-3768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Membrane_potential_ions_en.svg_.png 500w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Membrane_potential_ions_en.svg_-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Membrane_potential_ions_en.svg_-150x109.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electrochemical_gradient#Ion_gradients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ion concentration gradient<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gradients Need Ion Pumps<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Pross asks, how can that be? He then explains that the cell has to operate <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ion_transporter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ion pumps<\/a> against the gradient &#8211; just like the bird must flap its wings to hover against the pull of gravity. The cell supplies and expends energy (e.g. using <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adenosine_triphosphate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ATP<\/a>, etc) to operate these ion pumps.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ATP-Synthase.svg_.png\" alt=\"ion pump\" class=\"wp-image-3769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ATP-Synthase.svg_.png 250w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ATP-Synthase.svg_-172x300.png 172w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ATP-Synthase.svg_-86x150.png 86w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ion_transporter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ion pump<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ion Pumps Need Energy<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no thermodynamic mystery in the ability of the cells to maintain that far-from-equilibrium state &#8211; they do so by continually expending energy which they extract from the environment. However there is the mystery of how the far-from-equilibrium chemical systems came into existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Did Biological Far-from-equilibrium Systems Emerge from Chemistry?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>We believe that chemical processes led to the emergence of life on earth. But chemical processes on the pre-biological earth would have been driven to an equilibrium state, to low energy chemical systems, in accordance with the Second Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Did Biological Far-from-equilibrium Systems Evolve from Chemical Processes?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>How, therefore, could pre-biological earth chemical processes that are driven to an equilibrium state have led to the emergence of complex, high-energy, far-from-equilibrium systems required for life? <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abiogenesis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How was biology on earth born<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Wikipedia article on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abiogenesis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Abiogenesis<\/a> provides a detailed explanation of the evolution of present day biology from chemistry since the first life appeared on earth. This area of study is both extremely interesting and complex. Please note the question marks associated with the protocells in the diagram below:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Origin_of_life_stages.svg_.png\" alt=\"Abiogenesis\" class=\"wp-image-3772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Origin_of_life_stages.svg_.png 960w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Origin_of_life_stages.svg_-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Origin_of_life_stages.svg_-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Origin_of_life_stages.svg_-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Abiogenesis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Second Law Stability to Energetic Biological Imbalance?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The Second law states that all systems seek to become more stable, but this is exactly opposite to what must have occurred in order to produce far-from-equilibrium systems, that is the cellular biological systems that are in permanent imbalance, and that make up living things .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pross states: &#8220;you can&#8217;t get there from here. But we did!&#8221; The question then is how did we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Terraforming and far-from-equilibrium systems<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>This question of how life on earth came into being on earth is, of course, not an issue when it comes to terraforming a sterile planet and seeding it with existing life from earth&#8217;s biosphere. It is nevertheless an important question, and its answer may well throw light onto the other questions relating to creating a terraform biosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;Is Life in Equilibrium?&#8217; is Part Six of our \u2018Life\u2019 Series In this post, Is Life in Equilibrium?, we continue our series on \u201cLife\u201d and our discussion of the ideas in Andy Pross\u2018s recent book, \u201cWhat is Life?\u201d. Pross introduced us to the idea that life&#8217;s organized complexity represents a thermodynamic puzzle. But related to&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seaswell.net\/publishing\/is-life-in-equilibrium\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Is Life in Equilibrium?&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,31,12,19,25,35,9,11,17,22,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-earth-like-planets","category-energy","category-engineering","category-exoplanets","category-facebook","category-life","category-non-fiction","category-science-research","category-science-topics","category-seaswell-publishing","category-social-media"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is life in equilibrium? 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