Class: October 3rd 2007

Today we started the classes of introduction to physics of biological system. As I commented on in class we will mostly deal with thermodynamics. We have reviewd some fundamentals of equilibrium thermodynamics including the 1st and 2nd principles, the concepts of thermodynamic potentials, importantly, the concept of thermal energy (4.1 pN.nm) that is perpetually surrounding and acting on biophysical systems. We also commented on the concept of spontaneous processes and learned (reviewed) that entropy increase is not in oposition to spontaneus processes. In fact I used the example of the chicken and the egg. In the following paper you can see some research on that topic:

Studies in the development of the rainbow trout: the heat production and nitrogenous excretion, S. Smith.


Next day we will comment on the integrin paper (READ IT!!, STUDY IT!!) and hopefully finish our equilibrium thermodynamic review.