Spring 2002 / 3 credits
Instructor:
Asst. Professor of Physics,
office: 2360 NPB
email: sjhagen [at] ufl.edu
phone: 392-4716
office hours: To be announced
Prerequisites:
One complete year of an introductory physics course (PHY 2048/2049 or PHY 2053/2054 or similar sequence) or permission of the instructor.
Meeting times:
Tue. 8th period (15:00 - 15:50)
Thur. 8th & 9th (15:00 to 16:55, with a break!)
Room 1216 New Physics Building.
Course webpage:
http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~hagen/phz4710/spring02/Phys4710.html
The course webpage provides updated information about assignments, readings, schedule changes, upcoming events, course policies, etc. There is also a collection of biophysics-related web links. I will assume that you are visiting the webpage regularly and reading the announcements posted there.
Course objectives:
This course aims to introduce the physical principles that underly a variety of important biological and biophysical phenomena, as well as a number of valuable laboratory techniques and probes. The course combines physical and biological perspectives in order to explore a wide range of topics in a way that is not usually possible in standard undergraduate physical- or biological-science courses. The presentation is aimed at the undergraduate level and is designed to be suitable for both bio-oriented and physics-oriented students.
The course also emphasizes scientific writing and
communication. Through papers and
presentations, students can further explore the specific areas of biophysics
that they find most interesting. The course satisfies a Gordon Rule communications
requirement: the student will receive
credit for 2000 words of writing if the course is completed with a letter grade
of C or higher.
Topics covered:
The course will begin with an overview of biophysical
research, its definition, and objectives.
We will then investigate some of the applications of dimensionless numbers
and scaling laws in biology, including the famous Kleiber’s law. Then we will introduce some aspects of
molecular biophysics; we will briefly
review protein and nucleic acid structure, and then explore some simple
polymer-physical approaches to the study of biomolecules, and learn some of the
physics behind important technologies for DNA separation and
electrophoresis. We will discuss the
application of NMR and x-ray crystallographic techniques to studies of biomolecular
structure and dynamics. We will then
discuss the physics of biological motility, including the hydrodynamics of
bacterial motion, the operation of the bacterial flagellar motor, and other
biomolecular motors. Finally, we will
discuss the interactions of biological systems with electromagnetism. This will begin with an analysis of the
physics of vision and the eye, and continue into a discussion of rhodopsin and
neural signalling. As time permits,
this may lead to discussions of some simple physical models for neurons and
neural processing.
Textbook:
This course will draw from a variety of sources, since no one textbook covers all topics satisfactorily at the appropriate level. However, students may find the following books useful; these are recommended but not required. You may already own textbooks that cover similar topics, or you may benefit from books at a different level than these: Therefore, you are strongly advised to consult with the instructor before purchasing any text.
Author: Daune, Michel / Duffin, W. J. (Translator) / Blow, David (Int)
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: April 1999 ISBN: 0198577826
1 copy is on reserve at
the Marston Science Library
Author: Hobbie, Russell K.
Format: Hardcover
Publication Date: 10/19/97 ISBN: 1563964589
1 copy is on reserve at
the Marston Science Library
Author: Van Holde, K. E. / Johnson, W. Curtis / Ho, Pui Shing
Format: Hardcover
Publication Date: January 1998 ISBN: 0137204590
1 copy is on reserve in
the Health Science Library
You may also find useful:
Authors: Alberts, Bray, Johnson, Lewis, Raff, Roberts, & Walker (1998)
Available in Health Science
Library
Grading:
The final grade will be based on
30% Term
paper (2500 words, or about 10 pages)
15% Classroom presentation on the topic
of the paper
15% Occasional short assignments &
homework
25% Final examination
15% Class
participation and discussion
100% Total
The term paper forms an important part of the
course: it is the student’s opportunity
to develop and present his/her own interdisciplinary perspective on an
contemporary scientific research problem.
Students will have broad freedom to select topics that reflect their own
interests, although the goal should be to choose a topic that represents (as
nearly as possible) a 50/50 mix of biological and physical science. The final choice of topic must be approved
by the instructor. Each student will
write an initial draft, which will be carefully reviewed by the instructor and
returned with detailed written comments.
These comments – and the grades on the final version – will reflect the
suitability of the topic, the level of presentation, the conceptual
organization and structure, the adequacy of referencing and bibliographic
detail, and the overall adherence to standards of good written communication.
Academic honesty
policy:
Students are expected to
hold themselves to a high standard of academic honesty. While completing the registration form at
the University of Florida, every student has signed the following statement:
"I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be
honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to
academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment
may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the
University."
Class
attendance:
Class participation includes
regular attendance and is definitely expected. Students who anticipate difficulty in attending class regularly
should contact the instructor in advance.
Make-up of exams
and assignments:
Students requesting make-ups
or other such accomodations must contact the instructor as soon as reasonably
possible once the need arises.
Students with
disabilities:
Students requesting
classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office. The Dean of Students Office
will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this
documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.