Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology ( IF 3.8 ) Pub Date : 2020-09-22 , DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.09.004 Peter A Corning 1
The term “thermoeconomics” denotes a paradigm shift in our understanding of the role of energy in living systems, and in evolution. It is based on the proposition that energy in biological evolution can best be defined and understood, not in terms of the Second Law of Thermodynamics but in terms of such economic criteria as productivity, efficiency, and especially the costs and benefits (or “profitability”) of various mechanisms for capturing and utilizing energy to build biomass and do work. Thus, thermoeconomics is fully consistent with contemporary evolutionary theory. Functional criteria provide a better explanation of the advances (and recessions) in bioenergetic technologies in evolution than does any formulation derived from the Second Law.
中文翻译:
“热经济学”:超越第二定律的时间
术语“热经济学”表示我们对能源在生命系统和进化中的作用的理解发生了范式转变。它基于这样一个命题,即可以最好地定义和理解生物演化中的能量,而不是根据热力学第二定律,而是根据诸如生产率,效率,尤其是成本和收益(或“获利能力”)之类的经济标准来定义和理解。 )的各种机制,以捕获和利用能量来构建生物质并发挥作用。因此,热经济学与当代进化论完全一致。与从第二定律得出的任何公式相比,功能标准可以更好地解释生物能源技术在进化中的进步(和衰退)。