Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Problems with entropy in biology.

C J Smith

    Bio Systems
    |October 1, 1975
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Entropy is often seen as a measure of biological order, but this view is complex. This study explores the relationship between entropy, order, and information theory within thermodynamics.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Alpha1-fetoprotein: separation of two molecular variants by affinity chromatography with concanavalin A-agarose.

    Biochimica et biophysica acta·2009
    Same author

    Comparison of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor use as part of first-line therapy in a Serbian and a UK HIV clinic.

    HIV clinical trials·2009
    Same author

    The relationships of ABCB1 3435C>T and CYP2B6 516G>T with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in HIV-infected patients receiving Efavirenz.

    Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics·2009
    Same author

    The associations between age and the development of laboratory abnormalities and treatment discontinuation for reasons other than virological failure in the first year of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

    HIV medicine·2008
    Same author

    Factors associated with viral rebound among highly treatment-experienced HIV-positive patients who have achieved viral suppression.

    HIV medicine·2008
    Same author

    Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia treatment in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive women.

    Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology·2008
    Same journal

    The impedance mismatch theory: A non-equilibrium thermodynamic framework for a shared energetic stress pathway in neurodegeneration.

    Bio Systems·2026
    Same journal

    Immune signal-status misclassification: A theoretical framework for biological status assignment and failed status resolution.

    Bio Systems·2026
    Same journal

    Contextuality, incompatibility, and intra-system entanglement of mental markers: From cognition and decision making to medicine.

    Bio Systems·2026
    Same journal

    A unified clearance-based model of homeostatic drive across acute and chronic sleep loss.

    Bio Systems·2026
    Same journal

    Pattern regeneration in two-dimensional cellular automata models of bivalve shell symmetry.

    Bio Systems·2026
    Same journal

    The formation of the quantum entanglement in DNA-mRNA system.

    Bio Systems·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Thermodynamics
    • Information Theory
    • Biophysics

    Background:

    • Entropy is commonly interpreted as a measure of disorder in biological systems.
    • The spontaneous creation of order and its relation to entropy requires careful consideration.
    • Existing quantitative methods for order lack integration with thermodynamic principles.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To critically evaluate the notion of entropy as a measure of biological order.
    • To propose a generalized notation for incorporating measures of biological order into thermodynamic entropy balance equations.
    • To address limitations in current approaches, particularly regarding the meaning and value of information.

    Main Methods:

    • Discussion of the conceptual link between entropy and biological order.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of information theory's quantitative approach to order.
  • Development of a general notation for entropy balance equations in biological systems.
  • Identification of challenges in assigning energetic values to measures of order.

    • Main Results:

    • The common interpretation of entropy as biological order is critically examined.
    • Information theory provides quantitative order measures but is disconnected from thermodynamics.
    • A generalized notation is proposed to integrate biological order into thermodynamic entropy balance.
    • Difficulties in assigning energetic equivalents to order and the significance of information's meaning and value are highlighted.

    Conclusions:

    • The relationship between entropy and biological order is nuanced and requires a more integrated thermodynamic framework.
    • Proposed notation offers a path to quantitatively include biological order in entropy balance.
    • Further research is needed to address the energetic and semantic aspects of information in biological systems.