Thermodynamics and the Origin of Life

TL;DR

This paper explores how recent advances in nonequilibrium thermodynamics shed light on the origin of life, focusing on entropy production and the second law in self-replicating systems.

Contribution

It introduces recent thermodynamic theories related to entropy and irreversible processes, applying them to the study of life's origins.

Findings

Thermodynamics provides insights into the emergence of life.

Entropy production is key to understanding biological self-organization.

Recent laws extend classical thermodynamics to nonequilibrium systems.

Abstract

Modern developments in nonequilibrium thermodynamics have significant implications for the origins of life. The reasons for this are closely related to a generalized version of the second law of thermodynamics recently found for entropy production during irreversible evolution of a given system such as self-replicating RNA. This paper is intended to serve as an introduction to these developments.