Chapter 3 - Energy, Order and Disorder, and Organised Systems

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the way energy can be retained both in chemical systems in organisms and the environment for long time. The features of chemicals such as biomolecules and their assemblies, their composition, structure and properties are time independent, including molecular sequences used in describing evolution. The energy content of the individual molecules is then described by sums of potential energies of bonds at the absolute zero temperature. The molecules are metastable in the aqueous system. The evolution has to be taken in the context of thermodynamics within chemistry and can adopt a thermodynamic name for the groups of particular organisms. It contains special elements either in a particular limited number of selected oxidation states or in particular compartments and in selected concentration conditions and in manners of organization. The limitations upon the sources of energy are concerned but an understanding of changing energy flows into chemicals is also essential for an appreciation of any energized system and its evolution since it is only kinetically stable. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the source of energy supply to the surface chemicals that drives the whole global ecosystem.