12th Class Biology blank Matter and Energy

Technically speaking, matter and energy are interchange able as expressed by Albert Einstein's famous equation \[E=m{{c}^{2}}\]: energy equals mass times the square of the speed of light \[({{c}^{2}}).\]

For the chemical reactions that occur within living organisms, however, we can treat matter and energy as quite distinct from one another. Matter is the physical material of the universe; energy is the capacity to do work.

Close and Open system : A system is a portion of the universe that is selected within a definite boundary. The part other than the system is called surrounding.

As system is said to be closed if it can exchange energy but not matter, and in this energy can be gained or lost (through stainless walls) but not matter. A system said to be open if it can exchange matter and energy with surroundings. All living systems are open systems because they are continuously exchanging matter and energy with their surroundings.