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F. KRUGER
all reactions being referred to unit time). This results in a negative value for
entropy change during growth. The energy balance principally consists of
2 processes, linked together by a parameter expressing gram of waste products
cast per gram cell produced and having a minimum value if LlFext• is negative:
(1) Concentration of food in the cell and conversion to protoplasm, (2) conversion of food to waste. We distinguish the following entropy changes:
(a) decrease associated with condensing nutrient molecules into the cell,
(b) decrease by ordering food molecules into cellular structure, (c) increase
through converting food to waste products and (a) change involved in the
heat transfer from and to the environment. The thermodynamic function of
an organism which consists of selecting molecules with a lot of free energy
can be seen already from the example of the reversible denaturation of globulin (T LIS = + 54.0 kcaljmole, 27 0q, which in its reversed form can be comprehended as the last step in building up protein from constituent amino
acids during growth: LlF = -111,3 kcaljmole, a great part of which (T LIS =
+54.0 kcaljmole) dissipates as heat, such that it cannot be used further,
whereas (LlH) 57.3 kcaljmole remains in the protein thus illustrating the free
energy cost for constructing highly ordered molecules (LINSCHITZ 1953,
MOROWITZ 1960, WILKIE 1960). - Conclusively it should be emphasized-at
the same time by repealing unqualified assertions like those that "there are signs
for assuming a violation of the second law"-that an experimental proof can
only be expected from formulations that have been presented in precise
quantitative terms.
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