Electromagnetic waves and living cells: A kinetic thermodynamic approach

Umberto Lucia

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2016, vol. 461, issue C, 577-585

Abstract: Cells are complex thermodynamic systems. Their energy transfer, thermo-electro-chemical processes and transports phenomena can occur across the cells membranes, the border of the complex system. Moreover, cells can also actively modify their behaviours in relation to any change of their environment. All the living systems waste heat, which is no more than the result of their internal irreversibility. This heat is dissipated into their environment. But, this wasted heat represents also a sort of information, which outflows from the cell towards its environment, completely accessible to any observer. The analysis of irreversibility related to this wasted heat can represent a new useful approach to the study of the cells behaviour. This approach allows us to consider the living systems as black boxes and analyse only the inflows and outflows and their changes in relation to any environmental change. This analysis allows also the explanation of the effects of electromagnetic fields on the cell behaviour.

Keywords: Bio-chemical thermodynamics; Constructal law; Entropy generation; Membrane electric potential; Membrane surface elastic properties; Bioengineering thermodynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:461:y:2016:i:c:p:577-585

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2016.06.079

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