Fish Nutrition and Feed Technology (2+1)

Unit 8 - Energy

8.2.Laws of thermodynamics

All forms of energy are inter-convertible and obey the laws of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy may be transformed from one form into another, but can never be created or destroyed. For example, solar energy can be transformed into heat energy or into plant-food energy (chemical energy). During this transformation no energy is lost or destroyed. The second law of thermodynamics states that no transformation of energy will occur unless energy is degraded from a concentrated form to a less concentrated or more dispersed form, and further that no transformation is 100% efficient. All biological systems follow this law during the conversion of solar energy (a high energy form) into chemical energy during photosynthesis; a part of the energy transformed from solar to chemical energy being dissipated as heat energy into the surrounding environment.