Page 43 - Apologetics Student Textbook (3 Credits)

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states “energy systems have a
tendency to increase their entropy (disorder) rather than decrease it.” The
Second Law describes basic principles familiar in everyday life. It is partially a
universal law of decay; the ultimate cause of why everything ultimately falls
apart and disintegrates over time. Material things are not eternal.
Everything appears to change eventually and chaos increases. Nothing stays
as fresh as the day one buys it; clothing becomes faded, threadbare, and
ultimately returns to dust. Everything ages and wears out. Even death is a
nd
manifestation of this law. The effects of the 2 Law are all around, touching
everything in the universe.

When sin entered the world, just as God promised, death entered the
nd
world. The 2 Law was put into motion by an act of disobedience and it
affects all living creatures and systems. As we age, our bodies become less organized and eventually
complex systems begin to fail. Death is our ultimate end.

In living things, there are two great forces working together as things age. The first is called catabolism.
It is a set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidized
to release energy or used in other reactions. Catabolism breaks down larger molecules into smaller
ones. Catabolism is what happens when you digest food and the molecules break down for use as
energy. But in the cells, catabolism breaks down systems and eventually leads to the death of a cell. For
example, throughout your life your skin will change constantly, for better or for worse. In fact, your skin
will regenerate itself approximately once a month. The fact is that every 7 to 10 years, we become
essentially new people, because in that time, every cell in your body has been replaced by a new cell.
That is why your looks change as you age.

This is a picture of Mickey Rooney, a famous actor in
the US. The only difference between the two pictures
is 75 years (he died at age 93) of catabolism. He had
over 6 complete regenations between the two
pictures.
The process of replacing a dying cell or building up is
called anabolism. Anabolism is a set of metabolic
pathways that construct molecules from smaller units.
These reactions require an induction of energy known
as an endergonic process. Anabolism is the building-
up or replenishing aspect of metabolism, where as
catabolism is the breaking down aspect.

Science states that aging is a catabolic function. When the rate of catabolism (breaking down) exceeds
the anabolic rate (building up), then a person begins to display the signs of age. Muscle mass decreases,
and energy requirements decrease. Older people must consume less food to maintain their body
weight. And eventually, just as God promised Adam and Eve, “you surely will die!”

James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You
are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

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