Universal Life Energy–Growth Framework and Equation

Abstract

All living organisms function as open, nonequilibrium thermodynamic systems that maintain biological order by continuously absorbing matter and energy from the environment and converting these inputs into chemically usable forms. Despite major advances in physiology, ecology, and bioenergetics, a unified interpretive framework linking resource uptake, metabolic efficiency, and growth dynamics across diverse taxa remains limited. This paper introduces a systems-level Universal Life Energy–Growth Framework applicable to humans, animals, plants, fish, insects, and other living systems. The model integrates three fundamental biological dimensions: (i) resource absorption mediated through physiological interfaces, (ii) metabolic conversion efficiency governing chemical energy transformation, and (iii) temporal dynamics of mass change reflecting developmental or environmental constraints. From these principles, a generalized uptake–energy–growth relationship—referred to as the Universal Life Energy–Growth Expression—is formulated. The framework does not claim to establish a universal physical energy law, nor does it quantify energy in mechanical units. Instead, it provides a biologically grounded, cross-species interpretive structure consistent with metabolic scaling theory, ecological energetics, and life-history concepts. Its primary value lies in supporting comparative analysis, identifying limiting factors, and generating hypotheses regarding biological productivity, growth, and reproductive performance across environmental and physiological contexts.