what is biophysics?

Answer Posted / geetanjali

Biophysics (also biological physics) is an
interdisciplinary science that employs and develops
theories and methods of the physical sciences for the
investigation of biological systems. Studies included under
the umbrella of biophysics span all levels of biological
organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms
and ecosystems. Biophysical research shares significant
overlap with biochemistry, nanotechnology, bioengineering,
agrophysics and systems biology.

Molecular biophysics typically addresses biological
questions that are similar to those in biochemistry and
molecular biology, but the questions are approached
quantitatively. Scientists in this field conduct research
concerned with understanding the interactions between the
various systems of a cell, including the interactions
between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis, as well as how
these interactions are regulated. A great variety of
techniques are used to answer these questions.

Fluorescent imaging techniques, as well as electron
microscopy, x-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and
atomic force microscopy (AFM) are often used to visualize
structures of biological significance. Conformational
changes in structure can be measured using techniques such
as dual polarisation interferometry and circular dichroism.
Direct manipulation of molecules using optical tweezers or
AFM can also be used to monitor biological events where
forces and distances are at the nanoscale. Molecular
biophysicists often consider complex biological events as
systems of interacting units which can be understood
through statistical mechanics, thermodynamics and chemical
kinetics. By drawing knowledge and experimental techniques
from a wide variety of disciplines, biophysicists are often
able to directly observe, model or even manipulate the
structures and interactions of individual molecules or
complexes of molecules.

In addition to traditional (i.e. molecular and cellular)
biophysical topics like structural biology or enzyme
kinetics, modern biophysics encompasses an extraordinarily
broad range of research. It is becoming increasingly common
for biophysicists to apply the models and experimental
techniques derived from physics, as well as mathematics and
statistics, to larger systems such as tissues, organs,
populations and ecosystems.

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