[Campbell Biology P.195] According to the text, why can't organisms simply recycle their ene... | Practice Question

According to the text, why can't organisms simply recycle their energy indefinitely?

  • A: Energy is consumed by metabolic processes and completely converted into work.
  • B: During every energy transfer, some energy is converted to unusable heat, increasing the universe's disorder.
  • C: Organisms produce new energy constantly, making recycling unnecessary.
  • D: Energy can only be transferred between organisms, not recycled within one.

Explanation

The text states that 'during every energy transfer or transformation, some energy is converted to thermal energy and released as heat, becoming unavailable to do work.' This increase in heat contributes to the universe's disorder.