Generic Elective

Biophysics
2022 Course Programme

CODE
ΒΙΕ103
SEMESTER
7
HOURS per WEEK
3
ECTS CREDITS
5
INSTRUCTORS

Maria Katsikini

Theodoros Samaras

Introductory concepts: Chemical bonds (inter-atomic potentials of weak and strong bonds, non-central forces, bond energy, spring constant and bond elastic limit) rate of change of chemical reactions (free, internal energy, thermodynamics-statistical mechanics, kinetics of chemical reactions, radiation energy). Transport processes: diffusion, viscosity, heat transfer. Experimental techniques in biophysics: X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical tweezers, patch clamping. Biological polymers: nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and the conformation and folding of proteins. Biological membranes: background, chemical composition and structure of organic membranes, physics of biological membranes. Excitable biological membranes: diffusion and ion mobility, resting potential, action potential, Hodgkin-Huxley model, neural impulse propagation (cable model, FitzHugh-Nagumo model).

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