The Giorgio Careri Memorial Lectures Series
Life depends on the input of energy, either directly provided by sunlight or in form of high-energy matter. The rules and conditions for the conversion of chemical or electromagnetic energy into living structure and all the processes related with life are governed by the laws of thermodynamics. Here, we review basic principles of thermodynamics for equilibrium and non-equilibrium processes as well as for closed and open systems as far as they concern processes of life and development. We demonstrate that steady states of metabolic systems cannot show energy dissipation, while in dynamical modes entropy of the system can both increase or decrease, depending on the type of perturbation. These findings are very important for biotechnological processes where energy dissipation should be limited.
Andrea Giansanti