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

The First Law of Thermodynamics01:13

The First Law of Thermodynamics

6.0K
The first law of thermodynamics deals with the total amount of energy in the universe. It states that this total amount of energy is constant. In other words, there has always been, and always will be, exactly the same amount of energy in the universe. Energy exists in many different forms. According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy may transfer from place to place or transform into different forms, but it cannot be created or destroyed. The transfers and transformations of energy...
6.0K
Second Law of Thermodynamics00:53

Second Law of Thermodynamics

57.5K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the...
57.5K
Entropy within the Cell01:22

Entropy within the Cell

10.8K
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...
10.8K
First Law of Thermodynamics00:37

First Law of Thermodynamics

61.7K
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This can be demonstrated within a classic food web where light energy from the sun is harnessed as radiant energy by plants, converted into chemical energy, and stored as complex carbohydrates. The vegetation is then consumed by animals and during the digestion process, the sugars release energy as heat. The sugars also produce chemical energy that either gets used up doing work, stored in...
61.7K
Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics01:14

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

5.1K
Experimentally, if object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is in equilibrium with object C. That statement of transitivity is called the "zeroth law of thermodynamics." For example, a cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on a metal plate at room temperature. Eventually, the cold block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium. In addition, the hot block and the plate will be in thermal equilibrium.
5.1K
Thermodynamic Systems01:06

Thermodynamic Systems

5.2K
A thermodynamic system is a set of objects whose thermodynamic properties are of interest. The system is considered to be embedded in its surroundings or the environment. The system and its environment can exchange heat and do work on each other through a boundary that separates them. However, the immediate surroundings of the system interact with it directly and therefore have a much stronger influence on its behavior and properties.
Consider an example of  tea boiling in a kettle. The...
5.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Care coordinator delivered method of levels therapy to improve engagement and other outcomes in early psychosis (CAMEO): A feasibility cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Comprehensive psychiatry·2026
Same author

Understanding the effects of real-time head position feedback on postural sway in terms of changes in underlying deterministic and stochastic dynamical processes.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Sliding hip screw constructs are associated with early mobilisation, return to domicile and shorter length of stay when compared to an intramedullary nail: Results from the Scottish hip fracture audit.

Injury·2025
Same author

Guidelines for inclusive and equitable energy and transport modeling.

iScience·2025
Same author

Cleaner air, healthier hospitals: Implementing the UK's Clean Air Hospital Framework.

Journal of environmental management·2025
Same author

The incidence and clinical significance of incidental findings seen on pre-operative CT planning scans for hip and knee robotic arthroplasty surgery.

The surgeon : journal of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Ireland·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds
10:07

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds

Published on: November 6, 2015

13.5K

Thermodynamics, organisms and behaviour.

Benjamin De Bari1, James Dixon2, Dilip Kondepudi3

  • 1Psychology Department, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|June 19, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Biological organisms display goal-directed behavior, a unique trait explained through physics and chemistry. This research explores the thermodynamic basis of intentionality in living systems.

Keywords:
dissipative structuresend-directed evolutionmachine conception of living organismsmachine paradigm of organismself-healingself-organization

More Related Videos

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
07:54

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

3.0K
Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
06:57

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

5.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds
10:07

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds

Published on: November 6, 2015

13.5K
Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
07:54

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

3.0K
Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
06:57

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

5.4K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Thermodynamics

Background:

  • Biological organisms exhibit intentionality or goal-directed behavior, distinguishing them from non-living systems.
  • Understanding the physical basis of this intentionality is a significant scientific challenge.
  • Thermodynamics provides a foundational framework for investigating goal-directedness in biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the physical origins of intentionality in biological organisms.
  • To explain goal-directed behavior using principles of physics and chemistry.
  • To review recent experimental and theoretical advancements in the field.

Main Methods:

  • Investigation grounded in the principles of thermodynamics.
  • Integration of concepts from other branches of physics and chemistry.
  • Review of current experimental and theoretical research.

Main Results:

  • Progress has been made in understanding the physical basis of goal-directed behavior.
  • Thermodynamics offers a viable framework for explaining biological intentionality.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches combining physics, chemistry, and biology are crucial.

Conclusions:

  • The physical basis of biological intentionality can be understood through thermodynamics and related sciences.
  • Continued research is expected to yield further insights into the physical origins of behavior.
  • This line of inquiry bridges natural and social sciences, exemplified by 'Thermodynamics 2.0'.