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Related Concept Videos

Entropy within the Cell01:22

Entropy within the Cell

A living cell's primary tasks of obtaining, transforming, and using energy to do work may seem simple. However, the second law of thermodynamics explains why these tasks are harder than they appear. None of the energy transfers in the universe are completely efficient. In every energy transfer, some amount of energy is lost in a form that is unusable. In most cases, this form is heat energy. Thermodynamically, heat energy is defined as the energy transferred from one system to another that is...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics can be stated quantitatively using the concept of entropy. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the system.
The relation  between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:26

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Consider an isolated system in which a hot object is placed in contact with a cold one. This is an irreversible process that eventually leads both objects to reach the same equilibrium temperature. It is crucial to note that the constituents of any substance exhibit increased disorder at higher temperatures. As a cold substance absorbs heat, its constituents become more disordered. The energy transfer from a hotter object to a cooler one increases the system's disorder or randomness. This...
Entropy02:39

Entropy

Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
Entropy01:18

Entropy

The first law of thermodynamics is quantitatively formulated via an equation relating the internal energy of a system, the heat exchanged by it, and the work done on it. A quantitative formulation of the second law of thermodynamics leads to defining a state function, the entropy.
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Scientists refer to the measure of randomness or disorder within a system as entropy. High entropy means high disorder and low energy. To better understand entropy, think of a student’s bedroom. If no energy or work were put into it, the room would quickly become messy. It would exist in a very disordered state, one of high entropy. Energy must be put...

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Related Experiment Video

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NMR 15N Relaxation Experiments for the Investigation of Picosecond to Nanoseconds Structural Dynamics of Proteins
09:25

NMR 15N Relaxation Experiments for the Investigation of Picosecond to Nanoseconds Structural Dynamics of Proteins

Published on: November 1, 2024

Physical nuclear organization: loops and entropy.

Dieter W Heermann1

  • 1Theoretical Biophysics Group, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 19, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. heermann@tphys.uni-heidelberg.de

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|April 8, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Chromosomes fold into 3D structures through protein interactions. New models using loop and entropy concepts explain genome folding and predict biological functions.

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Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement for Detecting and Characterizing Self-Associations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
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Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement for Detecting and Characterizing Self-Associations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

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Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

NMR 15N Relaxation Experiments for the Investigation of Picosecond to Nanoseconds Structural Dynamics of Proteins
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NMR 15N Relaxation Experiments for the Investigation of Picosecond to Nanoseconds Structural Dynamics of Proteins

Published on: November 1, 2024

Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement for Detecting and Characterizing Self-Associations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
07:24

Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement for Detecting and Characterizing Self-Associations of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Published on: September 23, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Chromosomes dynamically associate with protein factors to form complex three-dimensional structures within the cell nucleus.
  • Extensive experimental research has been conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of genome folding and nuclear architecture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a fundamental understanding of the key principles governing the physical organization of the genome.
  • To create models capable of reproducing experimental results and making predictions about genome structure and function.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing experimental data from various studies on chromosome folding.
  • Developing theoretical models based on the concepts of loop extrusion and polymer thermodynamics (entropy).

Main Results:

  • Established a fundamental understanding of genome physical organization driven by loop and entropy principles.
  • Developed models that successfully reproduce results from multiple experimental observations.
  • Demonstrated the ability of these models to link biological function to three-dimensional genome structure.

Conclusions:

  • The concepts of loop and entropy provide a robust framework for understanding genome folding and nuclear architecture.
  • Current models based on these principles can accurately recapitulate experimental findings.
  • These models offer predictive power for understanding the relationship between genome structure and biological function.