In terms of overall entropy, then, and taking all these physical interactions into consideration, an ordered oily membrane around a cell is a higher entropy state than a random mixture of immiscible molecules, even though it looks more ordered.2 Grind up a spore and the overall entropy hardly changes, because although the crushed spore itself is more disordered, the component parts now have a higher energy than they did before – oils are mixed with water, immiscible proteins are rammed hard together.
