From quantum theory to statistical mechanics, the methodologies of physics are often used to explain some of life's most complex biological problems. Exploring this challenging yet fascinating area of study, Molecular and Cellular Biophysics covers both molecular and cellular structures as well as the biophysical processes that occur in these structures. Designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in biophysics courses, this textbook features a quantitative approach that avoids being too abstract in its presentation. Logically organized from small-scale (molecular) to large-scale (cellular) systems, the text first defines life, discussing the scientific controversies between mechanists and vitalists, the characteristics of living things, and the evolution of life. It then delves into molecular structures, including nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, interatomic interactions, and hydrogen bonds. After looking at these smaller systems, the author probes the larger cellular structures. He examines the cytoplasm, the cytoskeleton, chromosomes, mitochondria, motor proteins, and more. The book concludes with discussions on biophysical processes, including oxidative phosphorylation, diffusion, bioenergetics, conformational transitions in proteins, vesicle transport, subcellular structure formation, and cell division.
Molecular biophysics is a rapidly growing field of research that plays an important role in elucidating the mysteries of life's molecules and their assemblies, as well as the relationship between their structure and function. Introduction to Molecular Biophysics fills an existing gap in the literature on this subject by providing the reader with th
Physics, mathematics and chemistry all play a vital role in understanding the true nature and functioning of biological membranes, key elements of living processes. Besides simple spectroscopic observations and electrical measurements of membranes we address in this book the phenomena of coexistence and independent existence of different membrane components using various theoretical approaches. This treatment will be helpful for readers who want to understand biological processes by applying both simple observations and fundamental scientific analysis. It provides a deep understanding of the causes and effects of processes inside membranes, and will thus eventually open new doors for high-level pharmaceutical approaches towards fighting membrane- and cell-related diseases.
This book contains introductory comments concerning the definitions, the symmetry properties and the basic formulae for matrix elements of tensor operators. The main body of text consists of tables of reduced matrix elements of double tensor operators within pn,dn and fn configurations, i.e. all the principal pure configurations of the atomic and nuclear structure. These tables are complete which means that the author has run through all the states of the following configurations: p2, p3, d2, d3, d4, d5, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f7 for multiparticle systems with central symmetry.Double tensor operators wk1k2 have been chosen in these calculations, for a number of reasons. First of all, they are the most general type of spherical tensor operators and, since they are normalized, they are the most convenient to use. Secondly, they have been very frequently used in many areas of physics, most notably in nuclear, atomic, molecular and solid state physics. There are also tabulated conversion factors to enable the use of these tables for other types of definitions of tensor operators.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.