entropy /en″trəpē/ [Gk, en + tropos, a turning] , the tendency of a system to change from a state of order to a state of disorder, expressed in physics as a measure of the part of the energy in a thermodynamic system that is not available to perform work. According to the principles of evolution, living organisms tend to go from a state of disorder to a state of order in their development and thus appear to reverse entropy. However, maintaining a living system requires the expenditure of energy, leaving less energy available for work, with the result that the entropy of the system and its surroundings increases.
