Biophysics For Dummies

Learn to: Make sense of complicated formulas Grasp the practical applications of biophysics Understand the connection between the life sciences and physics Perform better in your biophysics course The fast and easy way to get up to speed on biophysics! If just thinking about biophysics formulas makes your head spin, then Biophysics For Dummies is for you! Covering the vast expanse of the field — including coverage on biomechanics, fluids, sound and waves, electromagnetic force, nuclear physics, radioactivity, and radiation — this one-stop resource explains in plain English everything you need to know to ace your biophysics course. Full of helpful illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Biophysics For Dummies is your go-to guide to the fascinating world of biophysics. Start with Biophysics 101 — understand the basics of biophysics, including formulas and terminology Delve into biomechanics — find out how to apply biophysics to statics, dynamics, and kinematics Get a primer on the physics of fluids — explore fluid dynamics and the mechanics of fluids Dive into sound and waves — become familiar with how sound and waves are produced and heard, and their applications Learn the fundamentals of electromagnetic force — discover the role conducting electricity plays in biophysics Go nuclear — investigate the physics of radiation, and examine biophysics' place in the medical field Open the book and find: The fundamental formulas you need to know Clear explanations of Newton's Laws Tips on understanding translational, rotational, and static equilibrium The scoop on fluid dynamics How to understand waves and their properties The real-world applications of biophysics in the hospital, sports, and elsewhere Ten career suggestions for budding biophysicists

Introduction  1 Part I: Getting Started with Biophysics  5 Chapter 1: Welcoming You to the World of Biophysics 7 Chapter 2: Interrogating Biophysics: The Five Ws and One H 19 Chapter 3: Speaking Physics: The Basics for All Areas of Biophysics 25 Part II: Calling the Mechanics to Fix Your Bio — Biomechanics  47 Chapter 4: Bullying Biomechanics with the Laws of Physics 49 Chapter 5: Sitting with Couch Potatoes — Static Equilibrium 77 Chapter 6: Building the Mechanics of the Human Body and Animals 105 Chapter 7: Making The World Go Round With Physics — Dynamics 139 Chapter 8: Looking at Where Moving Objects Go — Kinematics 165 Part III: Making Your Blood Boil — The Physics of Fluids  187 Chapter 9: Understanding the Mechanics of Fluids and Cohesive Forces 189 Chapter 10: Going with the Fluid Flow — Fluid Dynamics 209 Chapter 11: Breaking through to the Other Side — Transport, Membranes, and Porous Material 235 Part IV: Playing the Music Too Loud — Sound and Waves  253 Chapter 12: Examining the Physics of Waves and Sound 255 Chapter 13: Grasping How Animals and Instruments Produce Sound Waves 275 Chapter 14: Detecting Sound Waves with the Ear 293 Chapter 15: Listening to Sound — Doppler Effect, Echolocation, and Imaging 305 Part V: Interacting Subatomic Particles’ Influcence on Biological Organisms  315 Chapter 16: Charging Matter: The Laws of Physics for Electricity, Magnetism, and Electromagnetism 317 Chapter 17: Tapping into the Physics of Radiation 339 Chapter 18: Fighting the Big C — But Not All Radiation Is Bad 359 Chapter 19: Seeing Good Biophysics in the Medical Field 375 Part VI: The Part of Tens  385 Chapter 20: Ten (or So) Tips to Help You Master Your Biophysics Course 387 Chapter 21: Ten Careers for People Studying Biophysics 391 Index  395

Ken Vos , PhD, is a professor at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Ken has been teaching an introductory biophysics course since 1998 and won the University of Lethbridge′s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008. His research interests include topics in biophysics with application to cancer treatment.