Prerequisites:
45 credit hours in a science program, including CHEM 122, MATH 152 (or 155), PHYS 121 (or 102 or 126 or 141). BISC 101 is recommended. Course is intended for those majoring in Physics, Biology, of Molecular Biology.
Text: Physical Biology of the Cell, R. Phillips, J. Kondev and J. Theriot (Garland Sci., New York, 2009)
Comments: We will NOT cover the whole book. I'll try to cover most material in Chs. 1-11 and some material from a few of the remaining chapters.
Other Useful Books:
Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life, Philip Nelson (W.H. Freeman, New York, 2008)
Random Walks in Biology, Howard Berg (Princeton U. Press, Princeton, 1993)
Zoological Physics, Boye Ahlborn (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2004)
Other Useful Resources:
Websites:
Biophysical Society On-Line Resources:
www.biophysics.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/SelectedTopicsInBiophysics/tabid/2311/Default.aspx
Books: Cotterill, Rodney, Biophysics: an Introduction
Hobbie, Russell K., Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology
Benedek, George B., and Villars, Felix M.H.,
Physics with Illustrative Examples from Medicine and Biology, Vols. 1, 2, and 3.
Course requirements and grading:
Mid-term exam (in class): Mid-term: Friday, Oct. 29 (15% of grade)
Final Exam: Monday, Dec. 13, 3:30-6:30 pm (45% of grade)
Homework assignments (biweekly): (40% of grade)
Comments:
1. I will use the 'Harvard' system for weighting the final exam. Thus, the midterm exam is worth 15%. Whatever fraction of that 15% you do not get by correctly on the midterm exam will be added to the final, i.e., if you get half credit on the midterm, the 7.5% that you did NOT get will be added to the final, making the total weight of the final exam 52.5%. Note that the homework is not included in this calculation.
2. I expect everyone to do all the homework. I strongly encourage you to talk to one another and to work together in figuring out how to do the problems. On the other hand, when you write out your solutions, that must be your own work. Duplicate assignments will be regarded as plagiarism.
Downloadable pdf Files:
Course Information
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Exams