Entropy is a scientific concept that is often associated with disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. It is a thermodynamic function that is important in non-equilibrium thermodynamics. 

In biology, entropy is important when considering the systems that contribute to life on a planet. The amount of entropy production is proportional to the ability of these systems to dissipate free energy and evolve. 

According to American Scientist, life uses the difference in entropy between two reservoirs to build ordered systems. For example, Earth receives blackbody radiation from the Sun at 5,780 kelvin and radiates blackbody radiation out to space at 255 kelvin. Although the net energy gain or loss is roughly zero, life uses the difference in entropy to build ordered systems. 

According to NASA, a habitable planet is one that can sustain life for a significant period. Based on our solar system, life requires liquid water, energy, and nutrients. 

According to AMNH, Earth is habitable because it is the right distance from the Sun, it is protected from harmful solar radiation by its magnetic field, it is kept warm by an insulating atmosphere, and it has the right chemical ingredients for life, including water and carbon.

We all know that to have life on a world, you need three critical items: water, warmth, and food. Now add to that a factor called “entropy”. It plays a role in determining if a given planet can sustain and grow complex life

Here are some criteria for exoplanet habitability: 

• Habitable zone The planet must orbit in the habitable zone, which is the region around its star where liquid water can exist on its surface. The continuous habitable zone is the region where the planet’s surface temperatures allow for liquid water during most of its evolution. 
• Stellar characteristics The star’s mass and radius determine many of its fundamental characteristics, such as temperature and lifetime. The star’s evolution in luminosity drives strong climate change and may result in atmospheric or ocean loss. 
• Mass and radius While true limits on planetary sizes or masses for habitable planets are currently unknown, the size/mass range within which a planet is more likely to be habitable can be estimated. 
• Metallicity Rocky, wet terrestrial-type planets and moons are more likely to be found around stars of younger. 
• Plate tectonics A more massive planet of two Earth masses would also retain more heat within its interior from its initial formation much longer, sustaining plate tectonics for longer.

According to astrobiologists, the three ingredients that are vital for life are: Water, Energy, Organic molecules. 

Other requirements for life on exoplanets include: 

• Temperature 
• Atmosphere 
• Bioessential elements 
• Nitrogen 
• Oxygen 
• Light and redox energy sources 
• UV and Ionizing radiation 
• A magnetic field 
• A long-lived star 
• A low-UV radiative environment 
• A relative lack of gas giants 
• Rotation 

The mass of a potentially habitable exoplanet is between 0.1 and 5.0 Earth masses, and its radius would range between 0.5 and 1.5 Earth radii. However, it is possible for a habitable world to have a mass as low as 0.0268 Earth Masses.

The standard definition for a habitable planet is one that can sustain life for a significant period; based on our solar system, life requires liquid water, energy, and nutrients.

the amount of entropy production is proportional to a system’s ability to dissipate free energy and evolve. This means that systems with more entropy production are better able to “live”, evolve, and grow in complexity. 

Entropy production is a measure of a system’s activity. It plays a fundamental role in nonequilibrium thermodynamics, quantifying the irreversibility of open systems. 

The maximum entropy production (MEP) principle postulates that steady state, non-equilibrium systems with many degrees of freedom will organize to maximize entropy production.

Entropy production is the amount of entropy created during a heat process. It’s a measure of the amount of useful energy that’s dissipated and the degradation of engineering systems’ performance.

Entropy is a measure of a system’s molecular disorder or randomness. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy can be created, but it can’t be destroyed. 

Entropy production can be caused by irreversible processes like: 

• Heat flow through thermal resistance 
• Fluid flow through flow resistance 
• Diffusion 
• Joule heating 
• Friction between solid surfaces 
• Fluid viscosity within a system 

Entropy production can be negative sometimes, which is often an indicator of non-Markovianity.

In biology, entropy principles are used to describe the irreversible changes of systems over time. They can also quantify the complexity and organization of populations and communities. 

Entropy is also used to study biological communication systems, the structure of ecosystems, and evolution. 

In ecology, entropy maximization methods can predict the distribution and abundance of species. Entropy is also used as a measure of biodiversity. 

Entropy can also be used to describe the exchange of heat energy and mass between organisms and their environment. Entropy stays constant in the organism, but increases in the environment

Entropy is a measure of disorder that affects all aspects of life.  In humans, entropy increases as the number of cells and total energy within the body increase. This can lead to more disorder within the body.  For example, the entropy associated with brain activity increases with age. 

Other factors that contribute to human entropy include: 

• Infrared radiation 
• Convection 
• Evaporation of water 
• Mass-flow 
• Body size 
• Energy consumption 
• Mutations in genes involved in brain development or function 

Entropy can also affect human behavior. People with higher entropy may be more motivated to improve their situation. This is because the depletion of available free energy creates a natural attraction for additional energy to support work and organization

Here are some examples of entropy in everyday life: 

• Melting ice When ice melts, the water molecules become free to move, becoming disordered. 
• Campfire A campfire is an example of entropy because the solid wood burns and becomes ash, smoke, and gases. 
• Messy room A messy room is an example of entropy because it will likely become messy over time. 
• Smoke When you light a match in a closed room and blow it out, the smoke will expand and spread out, becoming more disordered. 

Other examples of entropy include: 

Gas expansion, Metal rusting, Food spoilage, Room temperatures, Tree branching, Cloud formation, Beach erosion. 

Entropy also increases when: 

• A gas flows from a container under high pressure into a region of lower pressure 
• You spray something out of an aerosol can 
• You let air out of a tire

(Full article source google)

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