Biophysics education
Issued Date
2010
Resource Type
Language
eng
ISBN
9780735408166
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
American Institute of Physics
Suggested Citation
Bhinyo Panijpan, ภิญโญ พานิชพันธ์ (2010). Biophysics education. doi:10.1063/1.3479904 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/8760
Title
Biophysics education
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Many topics in basic physics are presented to the students based on examples that they find too intangible,
uninteresting and unrelated to the real world. We propose here some examples from the biological world that can equally be used to illustrate seemingly arcane physical principles and laws [1] [2]. Energetic aspects of the Krebs Cycle, the Calvin Cycle, and the ion pump can make learning of thermodynamics and electricity much more realistic. The contraction relaxation cycle of a muscle sarcomere
can be used to represent that of a machine “photographs” of the
sarcomere and large biopolymers such as ordered protein and nucleic acid structures illustrate Bragg’s Law about regular
submicron distances as well as those from crystals of inorganic salts. Movements of nanostructures of the proton pump
subunits and sliding filaments are just as good for calculation of the moment of inertia and mechanical energy involved.
Transport of sugars made from photosynthesis in the leaf into the fruit can pose problems about concentration gradient very realistically. Aspect about light such as absorption and fluorescence of biological molecules such as chlorophylls and rhodopsins should make such phenomena more interesting and real. Interference of visible light from feathers and scales should also be used to showchanges of apparent colors and patterns when viewed from different angles. Circular
dichroism and streaming birefringence of biological macromolecules should make students appreciate polarization
better.
Description
International Conference on Physics Education ICPE; 2009. AIP Conference Proceedings Bangkok, Thailand, 1263, page 9-11