Lecture 1 Nature and subjects of Biophysics Flashcards
Define nature of biophysics
The nature of biophysics is actually defined by the scientific problems and approaches rather than by the applied methods
What is biophysics?
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science somewhere between biology and physics
When was the term biophysics first used?
The term biophysics was first used in 1892 by Karl Pearson in his book The Grammar of Science
What are the main subdivisons of biophysics according to the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics?
Molecular biophysics
Cellular biophysics
Biophysics of complex systems
Environmental biophysics
What is molecular biophysics?
It is closely related to molecular biology. It studies the structure and physicochemical properties of biological molecules.
What is cellular biophysics?
It studies cellular structures and bioenergetics. It aims to examine the physical properties of biological membranes.
What is biophysics of complex systems?
It studies the general physicobiological problems and physicomathematical modelling of biological processes.
The three types are
Theory of dissipative non-linear dynamic systems
Theory of bioenergetic phenomena
Modelling processes of biological development.
What is environmental biophysics?
Effect of physical factors on biological systems
What does Quantum-mechanical approaches allow us to do?
They allow us to explain molecular bonds and processes of energy transfer in biological systems
What are the two types of physical behaviour that meet at the molecular level of biological structures?
Microphysical and macrophysical
What are microphysical processes?
They are mostly stochastic and are based on the behaviour of single small particles like atoms and molecules.
What are macrophysical processes?
They have a general deterministic behaviour based on the behaviour of large bodies. It is ruled by the laws of classical physics.
The stochastic behaviour of molecular systems can be transformed into a deterministic one if….
If the number of participating stochastic events is large or if the degrees of freedom of the single reactions are extremely limited.
How can the increase of stochastic events be realised?
The increase of stochastic events can be realized by
- an increasing number of participating molecules,
- enlarging the volume, where the reaction takes place,
- an increase of the time interval of observation.
What is anisotropy?
The limitation of the degree of freedom of a biochemical reaction is realized by a property of the system which is called anisotropy.
