Final answer:
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism, with potential energy stored in chemical bonds and kinetic energy released during reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of metabolism refers to the entirety of an organism's chemical reactions, which are crucial for maintaining life. Metabolism includes both anabolic reactions, where larger molecules are constructed from smaller ones, and catabolic reactions, which break down large molecules into smaller ones, releasing energy.
Potential energy is stored energy, whereas kinetic energy is the energy of motion. In biological systems, potential energy is stored in chemical bonds and is released when these bonds are broken during metabolic reactions, becoming kinetic energy that can be used for cellular processes.
The first two laws of thermodynamics relate directly to living organisms. The first law, the law of conservation of energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This principle underpins metabolic processes as cells transform energy from one form to another. The second law of thermodynamics states that during energy transformations, some energy is lost as heat and increases the disorder, or entropy, of the universe. Biological systems are ordered and maintain their organization by increasing the entropy of their surroundings through metabolism.