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 Concept Videos

Functions of Life01:23

Functions of Life

28.2K
Human life is characterized by a variety of functions that are essential for survival and well-being. These functions include metabolism, movement, development, growth and reproduction.
Metabolism
The basic function of an organism is to consume energy and molecules in foods, convert some of it into fuel for movement, sustain body functions, and build and maintain body structures. There are two types of reactions that accomplish this: anabolism and catabolism.
Anabolism is the process whereby...
28.2K
Reasoning01:30

Reasoning

500
Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
500
Requirements for Human Life01:26

Requirements for Human Life

14.6K
The Earth and its atmosphere have provided humans with air, water, and food, but these are not the only requirements for survival. Humans also require a specific range of temperature and pressure that the Earth and its atmosphere provides.
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
14.6K
Entropy within the Cell01:22

Entropy within the Cell

13.9K
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...
13.9K
Characteristics of Life01:23

Characteristics of Life

268.3K
Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
268.3K
Origin of Cellular Life01:24

Origin of Cellular Life

43
The origin of life on Earth is a complex and enigmatic event rooted in ancient biochemical processes and geological conditions. Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that life began with the spontaneous formation of organic molecules such as RNA nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids under early Earth conditions. Factors like volcanic activity, intense UV radiation, and a reducing atmosphere without free oxygen likely facilitated these reactions. Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor are...
43

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Evolutionary Abilities of Minimalistic Physicochemical Models of Life Processes.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2024
Same author

On the Emergence of Autonomous Chemical Systems through Dissipation Kinetics.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same author

On the conditions for mimicking natural selection in chemical systems.

Nature reviews. Chemistry·2023
Same author

On the Chemical Origin of Biological Cognition.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2022
Same author

How Was Nature Able to Discover Its Own Laws-Twice?

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2021
Same author

Seeking to uncover biology's chemical roots.

Emerging topics in life sciences·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins
10:46

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins

Published on: October 18, 2022

2.4K

The Logic of Life.

Robert Pascal1, Addy Pross2,3

  • 1Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR5247 CNRS-University of Montpellier-ENSCM, CC17006, Place E. Bataillon, F-34095, Montpellier, France. robert.pascal@umontpellier.fr.

Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life
|April 25, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Nature favors persistent forms by balancing time and energy, a principle unifying evolution and thermodynamics. This Persistence Principle explains material change across physical and biological systems.

Keywords:
Darwinian evolutionDynamic Kinetic stabilityNatural selectionPersistence principleSecond law of thermodynamicsThermodynamic stability

More Related Videos

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.1K
Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins
10:46

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins

Published on: October 18, 2022

2.4K
Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.1K
Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.4K

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Biology
  • Thermodynamics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The concept of stability is central to understanding physical and biological systems.
  • Existing theories like the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Darwin's theory of evolution offer distinct explanations for change.
  • A unified framework is needed to connect the physical and biological realms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a unified conceptual framework linking the physical and biological worlds.
  • To introduce a broader understanding of stability, encompassing both time and energy facets.
  • To formulate the Persistence Principle as a general law governing material change.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of stability, distinguishing between time (persistence) and energy facets.
  • Logical formulation of the Persistence Principle based on the generality of persistence.
  • Mathematical exploration of the principle's manifestation in replicative (Malthusian) and physical/chemical (Boltzmann) systems.

Main Results:

  • Stability is proposed to have two facets: time (persistence) and energy.
  • Persistence is identified as a more general facet of stability than energy.
  • The Persistence Principle, 'nature seeks persistent forms,' is logically formulated.
  • The principle manifests distinctly in biological (Malthusian growth) and physical/chemical (Boltzmann probabilities) systems.

Conclusions:

  • The Persistence Principle offers a unified conceptual framework for material change.
  • It reconciles the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Darwin's theory of evolution.
  • This principle provides a broader perspective on the directionality of change in the universe.