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Water Air Soil Pollut (2010) 205 (Suppl 1):S87S89 DOI 10.1007/s11270-008-9925-3
Three Laws of Biology
J. T. Trevors & M. H. Saier Jr
Published online: 2 December 2008# Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008
Social rules can be broken, but the laws of nature cant.
Immense scientific progress has been made in recent centuries, and the time period required to double our knowledge continues to shrink. In recent decades, the sequencing of genomes from diverse species has been a primary driving force behind the expansion of biological knowledge. It has become central to the study of molecular and organismal evolution. The technologies that, for example, enable genomics, molecular medicine, and computing to forge forward at such rapid interdependent paces, are recognized as central to our understanding of Earths biosphere and sustaining it for future generations.
In recent years, biology has been at the forefront of science as we satisfy our desires to understand the nature of living organisms and their evolutionary histories. The statements that follow are based on
reams of evidence. Only when each statement is integrated with the others does a reasonably complete picture of life become possible. We enlist the assistance of the international scientific community to inform us of any modifications and exceptions to existing scientific dogma so that our concepts can continuously be refined. Only via this approach has it been possible to establish some basic laws of biology. The First Law of Biology: all living organisms obey the laws of thermodynamics. The Second Law of Biology: all living organisms consist of membrane-encased cells. The Third Law of Biology: all living organisms arose in an evolutionary process.
The First Law of Biology: all living organisms obey the laws of thermodynamics. This law is fundamental because the laws of the inanimate world determine the course of the universe. All organisms on all planets, including humans, must obey these laws. The laws of thermodynamics govern energy transformations and mass distributions. Cells that comprise living organisms (see The Second Law) are open systems that allow both mass and energy to cross their membranes. Cells exist in open systems so as to allow acquisition of minerals, nutrients, and novel genetic traits...