Scaling in Biological Systems: A Molecular-Ensemble Duality.

Area of Science:

• Thermodynamics
• Statistical Mechanics
• Biophysics

Background:

• Loschmidt's paradox questions how reversible molecular reactions lead to irreversible macroscopic changes.
• Existing theories like Boltzmann's H-function attempt to reconcile this discrepancy.
• The arrow of time in chemical systems remains a fundamental question in physics and biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the statistical mechanics of irreversible chemical thermodynamics in muscle tissue.
• To resolve long-standing paradoxes in science related to time's directionality.
• To propose a new framework for understanding irreversible processes.

Main Methods:

• Observation of statistical mechanics in muscle tissue.
• Application of principles analogous to Boltzmann's H theorem.
• Utilizing a simple statistical argument to analyze molecular and ensemble states.

Main Results:

• Chemical reaction energy landscapes evolve irreversibly, driving reactions forward.
• A molecular-ensemble duality exists, with two different non-scalable entropies.
• This duality applies to systems across all scales.

Conclusions:

• The study inverts common understandings of mechanistic agency and the arrow of time.
• All molecular mechanisms previously proposed for irreversible ensemble processes are disproven.
• A new perspective on irreversibility and time's direction is established.