Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology
Understanding how nature drives entropy production offers novel insights regarding patient care. Whilst energy is always preserved and energy gradients irreversibly dissipate (thus producing entropy), increasing evidence suggests that they do so in the most optimal means possible. For living complex...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Entropy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/22/10/1095 |
| _version_ | 1827705212305932288 |
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| author | Andrew J. E. Seely |
| author_facet | Andrew J. E. Seely |
| author_sort | Andrew J. E. Seely |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding how nature drives entropy production offers novel insights regarding patient care. Whilst energy is always preserved and energy gradients irreversibly dissipate (thus producing entropy), increasing evidence suggests that they do so in the most optimal means possible. For living complex non-equilibrium systems to create a healthy internal emergent order, they must continuously produce entropy over time. The Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEPP) highlights nature’s drive for non-equilibrium systems to augment their entropy production if possible. This physical drive is hypothesized to be responsible for the spontaneous formation of fractal structures in space (e.g., multi-scale self-similar tree-like vascular structures that optimize delivery to and clearance from an organ system) and time (e.g., complex heart and respiratory rate variability); both are ubiquitous and essential for physiology and health. Second, human entropy production, measured by heat production divided by temperature, is hypothesized to relate to both metabolism and consciousness, dissipating oxidative energy gradients and reducing information into meaning and memory, respectively. Third, both MEPP and natural selection are hypothesized to drive enhanced functioning and adaptability, selecting states with robust basilar entropy production, as well as the capacity to enhance entropy production in response to exercise, heat stress, and illness. Finally, a targeted focus on optimizing our patients’ entropy production has the potential to improve health and clinical outcomes. With the implications of developing a novel understanding of health, illness, and treatment strategies, further exploration of this uncharted ground will offer value. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:58:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a50b73d25efa44c5958ef44956c9d9fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1099-4300 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:58:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Entropy |
| spelling | doaj.art-a50b73d25efa44c5958ef44956c9d9fe2023-11-20T15:30:01ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002020-09-012210109510.3390/e22101095Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of PhysiologyAndrew J. E. Seely0Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaUnderstanding how nature drives entropy production offers novel insights regarding patient care. Whilst energy is always preserved and energy gradients irreversibly dissipate (thus producing entropy), increasing evidence suggests that they do so in the most optimal means possible. For living complex non-equilibrium systems to create a healthy internal emergent order, they must continuously produce entropy over time. The Maximum Entropy Production Principle (MEPP) highlights nature’s drive for non-equilibrium systems to augment their entropy production if possible. This physical drive is hypothesized to be responsible for the spontaneous formation of fractal structures in space (e.g., multi-scale self-similar tree-like vascular structures that optimize delivery to and clearance from an organ system) and time (e.g., complex heart and respiratory rate variability); both are ubiquitous and essential for physiology and health. Second, human entropy production, measured by heat production divided by temperature, is hypothesized to relate to both metabolism and consciousness, dissipating oxidative energy gradients and reducing information into meaning and memory, respectively. Third, both MEPP and natural selection are hypothesized to drive enhanced functioning and adaptability, selecting states with robust basilar entropy production, as well as the capacity to enhance entropy production in response to exercise, heat stress, and illness. Finally, a targeted focus on optimizing our patients’ entropy production has the potential to improve health and clinical outcomes. With the implications of developing a novel understanding of health, illness, and treatment strategies, further exploration of this uncharted ground will offer value.https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/22/10/1095maximum entropy production principlefractal structurescomplex non-equilibrium systemsmonitoring of scale-invariant variationthermodynamics |
| spellingShingle | Andrew J. E. Seely Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology Entropy maximum entropy production principle fractal structures complex non-equilibrium systems monitoring of scale-invariant variation thermodynamics |
| title | Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology |
| title_full | Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology |
| title_fullStr | Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology |
| title_short | Optimizing Our Patients’ Entropy Production as Therapy? Hypotheses Originating from the Physics of Physiology |
| title_sort | optimizing our patients entropy production as therapy hypotheses originating from the physics of physiology |
| topic | maximum entropy production principle fractal structures complex non-equilibrium systems monitoring of scale-invariant variation thermodynamics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/22/10/1095 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrewjeseely optimizingourpatientsentropyproductionastherapyhypothesesoriginatingfromthephysicsofphysiology |