Physics and Biology

Physics and Biology demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of physics in explaining a variety of biological phenomena. It explores developments in biophysics and the most general problems of biological thermodynamics, information theory, and the physical theory of biological development and how they are all connected with the biophysics of complicated systems. Organized into 13 chapters, this volume begins with a historical overview of biophysics, with emphasis on molecular biophysics, followed by a discussion of the biophysics of the cell and of complicated systems. It then introduces the reader to the physical basis of theoretical chemistry and biologically functional substances, with emphasis on some concepts that are necessary for the understanding of molecular biophysics. The next chapters focus on some properties of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids, how molecules interact with each other, and the peculiarities of macromolecules. More specifically, the molecules of organic substances, the chemical reaction involved in molecular interactions, van der Waals forces, and the role of hydrogen bonds in biological processes are considered. The final chapter analyzes the physicochemical basis of the functions of biological molecules. This book will be a valuable resource for physicists, biologists, chemists, natural scientists, and anyone who wants help in tackling some important biophysics-related problems in the contemporary natural sciences.