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Related Concept Videos

Entropy02:39

Entropy

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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...
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Entropy within the Cell01:22

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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...
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The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

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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...
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Euler's Equations of Motion01:28

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In fluid mechanics, shear stresses arise from viscosity, which represents a fluid's internal resistance to deformation. For low-viscosity fluids, like water, these stresses are minimal, simplifying flow analysis by allowing the fluid to be treated as inviscid, or frictionless. In an inviscid fluid, shear stresses are absent, leaving only normal stresses, which act perpendicularly to fluid elements. Notably, pressure — defined as the negative of the normal stress — remains...
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Entropy and Solvation02:05

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The process of surrounding a solute with solvent is called solvation. It involves evenly distributing the solute within the solvent. The rule of thumb for determining a solvent for a given compound is that like dissolves like. A good solvent has molecular characteristics similar to those of the compound to be dissolved. For example, polar solutions dissolve polar solutes, and apolar solvents dissolve apolar solutes. A polar solvent is a solvent that has a high dielectric constant (ϵ...
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Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

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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...
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Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
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Entropy and Entropic Forces to Model Biological Fluids.

Rafael M Gutierrez1,2, George T Shubeita1, Chandrashekhar U Murade1

  • 1Science Division, Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2021
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Summary

Living cells use polymer interactions and entropy to create complex thermodynamic equilibria. This study models these forces, offering insights into cellular organization and function.

Keywords:
biological fluidscrowdingentropic forcespolymer’s configurations

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Complex Systems

Background:

  • Living cells are complex fluids with high polymer concentrations, exhibiting emergent physical phenomena.
  • Understanding microscopic interactions is challenging despite abundant biological data.
  • Entropy-driven forces play a crucial role in cellular organization and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a model for complex thermodynamic equilibrium in polymer-crowded cellular fluids.
  • To investigate the competition between electrostatic interactions and entropic forces.
  • To provide insights into emergent behaviors like phase transitions in cellular environments.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a theoretical model for thermodynamic equilibrium.
  • Incorporated effective electrostatic short-range interactions.
  • Modeled entropic forces arising from polymers of different sizes.

Main Results:

  • The model demonstrates complex thermodynamic equilibrium arising from competing forces.
  • Highlights the interplay between electrostatic and entropic forces in polymer solutions.
  • Provides a framework for understanding emergent behaviors in crowded cellular environments.

Conclusions:

  • Entropy methods can yield significant information in complex biological systems.
  • The model offers a new perspective on cellular organization and function.
  • This work is relevant for researchers in complex systems, thermodynamics, and biophysics.