NEET 2026
- Exam
- NEET
- Year
- 2026
- Subject
- Biology
- Chapter
- Chapter
NEET 2026 · Biology · Chapter
Most ecosystems on Earth rely on a continuous and strictly...
Most ecosystems on Earth rely on a continuous and strictly unidirectional flow of solar energy. Which of the following statements correctly explains the necessity of this continuous energy input in the context of thermodynamic laws?
Options
- AEcosystems bypass the Second Law of Thermodynamics by efficiently recycling dissipated heat energy back into the chemical bonds of producers.
- BEcosystems must constantly counteract the universal tendency toward increasing disorder, thereby strictly obeying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
- CAccording to the First Law of Thermodynamics, energy transfer between trophic levels is completely efficient, requiring constant input only for newly born organisms.
- DThe unidirectional flow ensures that the energy trapped by producers is eventually returned to the sun to maintain the thermal equilibrium of the biosphere.
Correct answer
B. Ecosystems must constantly counteract the universal tendency toward increasing disorder, thereby strictly obeying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Step-by-step solution
According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy (disorder) of the universe. Ecosystems are highly ordered systems and must constantly counteract this universal tendency toward increasing disorder. To maintain their complex structures and functions, they require a continuous input of energy, which is primarily provided by the sun.
Energy flows unidirectionally through an ecosystem (from producers to consumers) and is eventually dissipated as heat. It cannot be recycled back into usable forms like chemical bonds. Therefore, ecosystems strictly obey the Second Law of Thermodynamics by relying on a constant external energy source to sustain life and offset the continuous loss of energy as heat.
Answer: Ecosystems must constantly counteract the universal tendency toward increasing disorder, thereby strictly obeying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Energy flows unidirectionally through an ecosystem (from producers to consumers) and is eventually dissipated as heat. It cannot be recycled back into usable forms like chemical bonds. Therefore, ecosystems strictly obey the Second Law of Thermodynamics by relying on a constant external energy source to sustain life and offset the continuous loss of energy as heat.
Answer: Ecosystems must constantly counteract the universal tendency toward increasing disorder, thereby strictly obeying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.