Biochem – Thermodynamics What is thermodynamics?

-Thermodynamics is the study of energy

transformations that occur in a collection of
-What is thermodynamics? Definition.
matter.
-Energy and biological energy needs.
-Thermodynamics is concerned with the
-Classes of thermodynamic systems. storage, transformation and dissipation of
energy.
-Law of conservation of energy-key concepts
and explanation. -Cells store energy, they transform it and they
dissipate to drive unfavorable reactions.
-Law of degradation of energy - key concepts
and explanation.

-Concepts of free energy, entropy and enthalpy. Biological perspective of thermodynamics

principles
-Summary.

In living cells, thermodynamic changes are

-All organisms require energy to stay alive. essenti biological functions such as growth,
-Organisms are energy transformers. reproduction photosynthesis and respiration.

-Organisms take in energy and transduce it to

new forms. -Light Chemical : photosynthesis.
-All chemical reactions in cells involve energy -Chemical Chemical : cellular respiration.
transformations.
-Chemical Electrical: Nervous system.
-For example green plants transform radiant
energy into chemical energy. Humans are -Chemical Mechanical : Muscles.
"energy parasites".

CELLS NEED ENERGY TO DO ALL THEIR WORK

Thermodynamics- is simply the study of energy.

-The science deals with energy in its various

BIOLOGICAL ENERGY NEEDS
forms and the conversion of one form of energy
into another

-To generate and maintain its structure

WHAT IS THERMODYNAMICS? -To generate all kinds of movements

-HEAT -To generate concentration and electrical

gradients across cell membranes
-WORK
-To maintain body temperature
-ENERGY
-To generate light in some animals
 KINETIC ENERGY -

BIOENERGETICS

-Energy is in motion

-Bioenergetics is the quantitative study of -Light, heat, electric power

energy transductions in living cells.

POTENTIAL ENERGY

-The "energy industry" (production,storage and

use of energy) is central to the economy of the
-Stored energy
cell society.
-Dam, battery, Wood, fossil fuels

ENERGY- is defined as the ability to do work.

Animals are open thermodynamic systems
-Organisms take in energy and transduce it to
new forms.

-The flow of energy maintains order and life. -The matter flowing into the living system
contains a high energy potential.

-The matter flowing out of the system is at alow

BASIC TYPES OF ENERGY
energy potential.

-The energy changes that occur between these

KINETIC ENERGY - Energy in motion two mass flow events are used to perform
chemical and physical work processes.

POTENTIAL ENERGY - Stored energy

Biological energy transformation

BASIC FORMS OF ENERGY FORMS

Energy can be changed from one form to
ENERGY
another energy transformation
HEAT

LIGHT
-Plants - Photosynthesis ;Starch Light energy &
MECHANICAL Chemical energy

CHEMICAL -Nerve- Neurotransmission impulse; Chemical

energy Electrical energy

-Eye -Vision- image ; Light energy Electrical

ENERGY FORMS OF energy
-Muscle = movement-power; Chemical energy
Mechanical energy
What is a system?
-An assemblage of matter, which can interact
with energy is called a system.
-A system is separated from its surroundings by
a boundary. E.g. an organism, a fermenter or a
test tube.
Classes of thermodynamic systems
Based on the differentiation between flows of
energy and flow of matter across the system
boundary, thermodynamics distinguishes 3
types of systems:
1. An open system exchanges matter and
energy with its environment.
2 Closed system exchanges only energy with its
environment.
3 isolated system exchanges neither matter nor
energy with its environment.
An isolated system
-An isolated system has boundary which is
impermeable to both matter and all forms of
energy. It exchanges neither heat nor matter
with its surroundings.
The first law of thermodynamics
-Law of conservation of energy-this law was put
forward by Robert Mayer in 1941.
-The first law states that the total energy of a
system plus its environment remains constant".
-This law declares that " energy is neither
created nor destroyed in the universe and it
allows to be exchanged between a system and
its surroundings"
Key concepts of first law
-The sum of the energy before the conversion is
equal to the sum of the energy after conversion.
-The total quantity of energy in the universe
remains constant.
-The energy conversion is never 100% efficient.
-Ecological efficiencies vary from 1% to 56%
depending on organisms.
-Some energy is wasted in increasing the
disorder or entropy.
First Law of Thermodynamics
The change in internal energy of a system is
equal to the heat added to the system minus
the work done by the system
triangle U = Q - W
-Change in internal energy
-Heat added to the system
-Work done by the system
-The first law makes use of the key concepts of
internal energy, heat, and system work. used
extensively in the discussion of heat engines.
The standard unit for all these quant would be
the joule, although they are sometimes
expressed in calories or BTUs
Explanation of the first law
-Light is a form of energy.
-It can be transformed in to work, heat or
potential energy of food, depending on the
situation, but none of it is destroyed.
-Plants convert light energy from the sun into
high energy compounds that help to build cell
material.
-When animals eat plants, their stomach and
intestines break down the compounds for
further use.
Free energy (AG) concept
- Free energy refers to the amount of energy
available during a chemical reaction to do
cellular work.
-The free energy concept was developed by
Willard Gibbs i 1870s.
-The Gibbs free energy is a thermodynamic
quantity which be used to determine, if a
reaction is spontaneous or not.
-Gibbs free energy equation = AG=AH-TAS
Where AG-Gibbe free energy in AH enthalpy
change
-T-temperature in Kelvin K-273+0c AS entropy
change (in KJ K-1)
Gibbs free energy
-The driving force of a chemical as two
components
-AH is the drive toward stability (enthalpy) AS is
the drive toward disorder (entropy)
-AG is the net driving force of a chemical
reaction.
-AG values depend upon temperature, pressure
and the concentration of the reactants and
products.
-If A G<0 = the reaction is spontaneous.
-If A G>0 = the reaction is non-spontaneous.
Second law of thermodynamics
-Also called law of the degradation of energy or
law of entropy.
-This law was developed in 1850s by German
Physicist Rudolf Clausius.
-This law states that "a system and its
surroundings always proceed to a state of
maximum disorder or maximum entropy".
Significance of AG
-The sign AG is a predictive element.
-AG → reaction favorable
(exergonic,spontaneous)
-+AG → reaction not favorable(endergonic, non -The change in enthalpy is given by AH= AU +PA
spontaneous). AG Where

-x =0 → reaction at equilibrium (no change). AU-internal energy change

P-pressure

Concept of entropy (AS) V-volume

AU- the change in internal energy of a system

is equal to the heat added to the system minus
-The word entropy (from the Greek entrope =
the work done by the system.
change ) is a measure of the unavailable energy
resulting from transformations.

- The term is used as a general index of the AU+Q-W

molecular disorder associated with energy
Where Q- heat added to the system W-work
degradation.
done by the system
-Second law implies that the entropy of the
universe is increasing because energy
conversions are not 100% efficient. i. e.some Summary
heat is always released.

-Second law also implies that if a particular

system becomes more ordered, its surroundings -Thermodynamic laws describe the flows and
become more disordered. interchanges of heat, energy and matter.

-Almost all chemical and biochemical processes

Concept of entropy (AS) -2
- Entropy unavailable energy or molecular
disorder.
-Entropy is the capacity factor for thermal
energy. It is a function of state. It is a function of
the degree disorder in the system.
are as a result of transformation of energy.
-Laws can provide important insights into
metabolism and bioenergetics.
-The energy exchanges between the system and
the surroundings balance each other.
-There is a hierarchy of energetics among
organisms:

-"Entropy tends to increase" = a change to a

more disordered state at a molecular level. "no
process is 100% efficient" High S value = high
degree of disorder in a system.

Concept of enthalpy (AH)

-Enthalpy is defined as a change in heat content

or heat of formation of a system.