Considering your answers to Exercises 130 and 131, how can you justify the existence of proteins and nucleic acids in light of the second law of thermodynamics?

The existence of proteins and nucleic acids, as complex biomolecules, can be justified in light of the second law of thermodynamics by considering two key aspects: energy input in biological systems and entropy increase in the surroundings. Living organisms are not isolated systems and constantly exchange energy and matter with their environment. Energy inputs from processes like photosynthesis and consumption of nutrients fuel the synthesis of complex biomolecules, leading to a local decrease in entropy within cells. However, the overall entropy of the system (cell and its environment) still increases due to energy-releasing processes, such as cellular respiration, which increase entropy in the surroundings. Thus, the formation of proteins and nucleic acids complies with the second law of thermodynamics as the net entropy change remains positive.