At first glance, it may seem that living systems are able to defy the second law of thermodynamics.However, on closer examination, it becomes clear that although cells create organization from raw materials in the environment, they also contribute to disorder in the environment by releasing

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Living systems contribute to disorder in the environment by releasing heat through metabolic processes. This is in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the total entropy of a closed system will always increase over time. While living systems are able to generate complex structures and organize their internal processes, they do so at the expense of increasing disorder in their surroundings.

At First Glance, It May Seem That Living Systems Are