6.3 The Laws of Thermodynamics

Energy from the sun can be converted by plants and other phototrophs into chemical potential energy held in the bonds of molecules. Chemical reactions can transfer this chemical energy between different molecules. And energy from these molecules can be used by the cell to do work. In all these instances, energy is subject to the laws of thermodynamics. In fact, all processes in a cell, from diffusion to osmosis to the pumping of ions to cell movement, are subject to these laws. There are four laws of thermodynamics, but two of them are particularly relevant to biological processes and are discussed here.