1.14.48: Open System
The chemical thermodynamics of open systems [1-2] is more complicated than that of closed systems because chemical substances exchange between system and surroundings, crossing the boundary of the system.
Footnote
[1] D. Kondepudi and I. Prigogine, Modern Thermodynamics; From Heat Engines to Dissipative Structures, Wiley, New York, 1998.
[2] Clearly a treatment of the chemical thermodynamics of the human body has to take account of the fact that such systems are open. Farmers are very practical chemical thermodynamic experts because in feeding their livestock they judge if the animals they are feeding will
- produce milk for sale,
- meat for food,
- skin for the manufacture of leather and/or
- be used for breeding.
Farmers do not leave these options to chance as they cope in very practical way with such open systems.