Biophysics For Dummies

One of the most diverse of modern scientific disciplines, biophysics applies methods and technologies from physics to the study of biological systems and phenomena, from the human nervous system to soil erosion to global warming. What are the best options for satisfying the world's growing energy demands? How can we feed the world's growing population? How can we contain, or reverse, global warming? How can we vouchsafe a plentiful supply of potable water for future generations? These are among the critical questions to which biophysicists work to provide answers.

• Biophysics courses are increasingly taken by students of biology, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, statistics, bioengineering, neuroscience, computer science, pharmacology, agriculture,and many more
• Provides a friendly, unintimidating overview of the material covered in a typical college-level biophysics course
• A one-stop reference, course supplement and exam preparation tool for university students currently enrolled in an introductory biophysics courses
• An indispensable resource for those studying the natural sciences, biological sciences, and physics, as well as math, statistics,computer science, pharmacology and many other disciplines
• The current job market for people well versed in biophysics is very strong, and biophysics is currently listed as one of the fast-growing occupations in the North America

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Biophysics 5

Chapter 1: Welcoming You to the World of Biophysics 7

Chapter 2: Interrogating Biophysics: The Five Ws and One H 19

Chapter 3: Speaking Physics: The Basics for All Areas of Biophysics 25

Part II: Calling the Mechanics to Fix Your Bio — Biomechanics 47

Chapter 4: Bullying Biomechanics with the Laws of Physics 49

Chapter 5: Sitting with Couch Potatoes — Static Equilibrium 77

Chapter 6: Building the Mechanics of the Human Body and Animals 105

Chapter 7: Making The World Go Round With Physics — Dynamics 139

Chapter 8: Looking at Where Moving Objects Go — Kinematics 165

Part III: Making Your Blood Boil — The Physics of Fluids 187

Chapter 9: Understanding the Mechanics of Fluids and Cohesive Forces 189

Chapter 10: Going with the Fluid Flow — Fluid Dynamics 209

Chapter 11: Breaking through to the Other Side — Transport, Membranes, and Porous Material 235

Part IV: Playing the Music Too Loud — Sound and Waves 253

Chapter 12: Examining the Physics of Waves and Sound 255

Chapter 13: Grasping How Animals and Instruments Produce Sound Waves 275

Chapter 14: Detecting Sound Waves with the Ear 293

Chapter 15: Listening to Sound — Doppler Effect, Echolocation, and Imaging 305

Part V: Interacting Subatomic Particles’ Influcence on Biological Organisms 315

Chapter 16: Charging Matter: The Laws of Physics for Electricity, Magnetism, and Electromagnetism 317

Chapter 17: Tapping into the Physics of Radiation 339

Chapter 18: Fighting the Big C — But Not All Radiation Is Bad 359

Chapter 19: Seeing Good Biophysics in the Medical Field 375

Part VI: The Part of Tens 385

Chapter 20: Ten (or So) Tips to Help You Master Your Biophysics Course 387

Chapter 21: Ten Careers for People Studying Biophysics 391

Index 395

Ken Vos, PhD, is a professor at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Ken has been teaching an introductory biophysics course since 1998 and won the University of Lethbridge's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008. His research interests include topics in biophysics with application to cancer treatment.

Learn to:

• Make sense of complicated formulas
• Grasp the practical applications of biophysics
• Understand the connection between the life sciences and physics
• Perform better in your biophysics course

The fast and easy way to get up to speed on biophysics!

If just thinking about biophysics formulas makes your head spin, then Biophysics For Dummies is for you! Covering the vast expanse of the field — including coverage on biomechanics, fluids, sound and waves, electromagnetic force, nuclear physics, radioactivity, and radiation — this one-stop resource explains in plain English everything you need to know to ace your biophysics course. Full of helpful illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Biophysics For Dummies is your go-to guide to the fascinating world of biophysics.

• Start with Biophysics 101 — understand the basics of biophysics, including formulas and terminology
• Delve into biomechanics — find out how to apply biophysics to statics, dynamics, and kinematics
• Get a primer on the physics of fluids — explore fluid dynamics and the mechanics of fluids
• Dive into sound and waves — become familiar with how sound and waves are produced and heard, and their applications
• Learn the fundamentals of electromagnetic force — discover the role conducting electricity plays in biophysics
• Go nuclear — investigate the physics of radiation, and examine biophysics' place in the medical field

Open the book and find:

• The fundamental formulas you need to know
• Clear explanations of Newton's Laws
• Tips on understanding translational, rotational, and static equilibrium
• The scoop on fluid dynamics
• How to understand waves and their properties
• The real-world applications of biophysics in the hospital, sports, and elsewhere
• Ten career suggestions for budding biophysicists