1st Edition
by Thomas Andrew Waigh (Author)
This full-colour undergraduate textbook, based on a two semester
course, presents the fundamentals of biological physics, introducing
essential modern topics that include cells, polymers, polyelectrolytes,
membranes, liquid crystals, phase transitions, self-assembly, photonics,
fluid mechanics, motility, chemical kinetics, enzyme kinetics, systems
biology, nerves, physiology, the senses, and the brain.
The
comprehensive coverage, featuring in-depth explanations of recent rapid
developments, demonstrates this to be one of the most diverse of modern
scientific disciplines.
The Physics of Living Processes: A Mesoscopic Approach is comprised of five principal sections:
• Building Blocks
• Soft Condensed Matter Techniques in Biology
• Experimental Techniques
• Systems Biology
• Spikes, Brains and the Senses
The
unique focus is predominantly on the mesoscale ― structures on length
scales between those of atoms and the macroscopic behaviour of whole
organisms. The connections between molecules and their emergent
biological phenomena provide a novel integrated perspective on
biological physics, making this an important text across a variety of
scientific disciplines including biophysics, physics, physical
chemistry, chemical engineering and bioengineering.
An extensive
set of worked tutorial questions are included, which will equip the
reader with a range of new physical tools to approach problems in the
life sciences from medicine, pharmaceutical science and agriculture.
