Related Experiment Videos
[The dynamic trends of biological evolution]
Izvestiia Akademii Nauk. Seriia Biologicheskaia
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Biological evolution is driven by a thermodynamic model favoring minimum Gibbs free energy. This leads to biosystems accumulating energy-rich compounds and displacing water during development and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biochemistry
Context:
- Supramolecular biological structures exhibit thermodynamic stability.
- Living organisms show variations in chemical composition.
- Existing data allows for experimental development of a macrothermodynamic model.
Purpose:
- To develop an experimental macrothermodynamic model of biological evolution.
- To explain variations in chemical composition and structure of living systems based on thermodynamic principles.
- To elucidate adaptive changes in biostructures through macrothermodynamics.
Summary:
- A macrothermodynamic model demonstrates that the drive towards minimum Gibbs free energy in supramolecular biological structures dictates chemical composition and structural changes.
- During ontogenesis, phylogenesis, and long-term evolution, biosystems incorporate energy-rich substances, displacing water, driven by thermodynamic processes.
- Adaptive changes in biostructures are explained by this macrothermodynamic framework, highlighting the role of energy minimization.
Impact:
- Provides a thermodynamic basis for understanding chemical and structural evolution in biological systems.
- Explains the enrichment of biosystems with energy-intensive compounds and water displacement.
- Offers a unified macrothermodynamic perspective on adaptive biological changes across different evolutionary scales.