Final answer:
Living things do not violate the second law of thermodynamics because although they are highly ordered and maintain low entropy, the total entropy of the universe is constantly increasing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Living things do not violate the second law of thermodynamics because although they are highly ordered and maintain a state of low entropy, the total entropy of the universe is constantly increasing. This is because living things require constant energy input to maintain their low entropy state, and in the process of taking in energy and performing chemical reactions, they lose some amount of usable energy and produce waste that increases the entropy of the surroundings. While living things may decrease their local entropy, the overall entropy of the universe continues to increase.