Biophysics: Physical Processes Underlying the Living State - Hardcover

Reed, Wayne F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1119696402 ISBN 13: 9781119696407

Publisher: Wiley, 2025

Synopsis

An introduction to the physics of living organisms

The field of biophysics employs the principles of physics to study biological systems, and introduces the concept of the living state. It is a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the living state combining physics, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, medicine and engineering. The physics of macromolecules and macromolecular assemblies is a particularly important aspect of this broader field.

Biophysics: Physical Processes Underlying the living state offers an introduction to the general principles of the living state and their biological applications. Beginning with an historical overview of fundamental scientific theories and fields, the book then provides a brief introduction to cell biology and biochemistry, and then an overview of basic thermodynamics, kinetics, information theory, electrostatics in solution, fluid mechanics and macromolecular physics, and their relationship to the living state. After a presentation of physical methods, with an emphasis on light scattering, different biological macromolecules, selected aspects of their functions, and their physical properties and interactions are surveyed. A brief introduction to vision, biomotion, and theoretical biology is also provided. Exploration of some frontier issues in prebiotic origins of life, consciousness, and astrobiology round out the book. The result is a multifaceted window into the broad and evolving field of biophysics.

Biophysics readers will also find:

• Problems at the conclusion of each chapter to reinforce and focus student knowledge
• A gathering of topics in basic physics and physical chemistry which are seldom found in a single source

This textbook is suitable for physics and engineering students studying biophysics, macromolecular science, and biophysical chemistry, as well as for polymer scientists, chemists, biochemists, cell and molecular biologists, bioengineers, and others.

About this title

About the Author

Wayne F. Reed is professor of physics with an interdisciplinary appointment in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. He has published extensively in the area of polymer reactions, biomacromolecules, new macromolecular characterization instrumentation, and related subjects, and has a long history of fruitful industrial collaboration.

From the Back Cover

An introduction to the physics of living organisms

The field of biophysics employs the principles of physics to study biological systems, and introduces the concept of the living state. It is a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the living state combining physics, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, medicine and engineering. The physics of macromolecules and macromolecular assemblies is a particularly important aspect of this broader field.

Biophysics: Physical Processes Underlying the living state offers an introduction to the general principles of the living state and their biological applications. Beginning with an historical overview of fundamental scientific theories and fields, the book then provides a brief introduction to cell biology and biochemistry, and then an overview of basic thermodynamics, kinetics, information theory, electrostatics in solution, fluid mechanics and macromolecular physics, and their relationship to the living state. After a presentation of physical methods, with an emphasis on light scattering, different biological macromolecules, selected aspects of their functions, and their physical properties and interactions are surveyed. A brief introduction to vision, biomotion, and theoretical biology is also provided. Exploration of some frontier issues in prebiotic origins of life, consciousness, and astrobiology round out the book. The result is a multifaceted window into the broad and evolving field of biophysics.

Biophysics readers will also find:

• Problems at the conclusion of each chapter to reinforce and focus student knowledge
• A gathering of topics in basic physics and physical chemistry which are seldom found in a single source

This textbook is suitable for physics and engineering students studying biophysics, macromolecular science, and biophysical chemistry, as well as for polymer scientists, chemists, biochemists, cell and molecular biologists, bioengineers, and others.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1119696402
• ISBN 13: 9781119696407
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 528