Final answer:
The student's statement is true; organisms become more complex with energy from the sun while maintaining low entropy. However, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, the universe's overall entropy is always increasing due to energy being lost in transfers, balancing the decrease of entropy within organisms. therefore, the given statement is TRUE.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement posed by the student is True. Living organisms do indeed increase in complexity due to a constant input of energy from the sun. This complexity refers to the highly ordered structures and functions within organisms that result in low entropy, which is a measure of disorder or randomness. However, according to the second law of thermodynamics, every energy transfer or transformation in the universe results in the increase of entropy. Therefore, while individual living systems can decrease in entropy, the universe as a whole is experiencing a net increase in entropy. Biological organisms are open systems, constantly exchanging energy with their surroundings. For instance, plants perform photosynthesis, using energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. While they maintain low internal entropy, the process is not completely efficient, and some energy is lost as heat. Moreover, the act of maintaining such order requires energy, which further contributes to the overall increase in entropy in the universe. It is crucial to understand that the decrease in entropy within an organized system like a living organism does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. It's possible because the increase in entropy outside the system, in the wider universe, balances out the decrease within the organism. Thus, the statement that the universe's entropy is always increasing holds true even as complexity within living organisms can increase.