Biophysics

Code:

602

Acronym:

602

Instance: 2019/2020 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Sports Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LCD	14	First Degree in Sports Sciences (2011/2012)	2	-	3	-
			3

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

- Knowledge of the Biophysics history
-Understand the inter-relationships between the Physical and the Biological Sciences
- Understand the concept of wave and know their properties
- Understand the speech and earring mechanisms and their relation with sound waves
- To apply the concepts learned in order to understand the echography mechanism and the Doppler effect
- Understand the concept of electromagnetic wave and know their properties
- To understand the functioning of the mirrors and lenses
- To understand the vision mechanism and the correction of visual defects by the use of lenses
- To understand the concept of electrically charged particles and the existence of the electric and magnetic fields
- To understand the physical mechanism for the creation and propagation of the action potential in nervous and muscle cells and its relation to electromyography

Learning outcomes and competences

- To be able to interpret the terms in the wave equation

- To understand the Doppler Effect

- To understand the reflection, diffraction and transmission of waves

- To understand the functioning of the earing

- To understand the echography and its use in Biophysics

- To learn the electromagnetic spectrum and the effect of the different electromagnetic radiations on the living creatures

- To understand the functioning of the eye

- To understand the corrective lenses

- To understand the mechanism of action potential

- To understand the formation and interpretation of the electromyographic signal

Working method

Presencial

Program

- Biophysics history: the influence of Physics in the biological knowledge; the influence of Biology in the physical knowledge
- Mathematical basis for the study of Biophysics
- The elastic spring: harmonic oscillatory movement; propagation of perturbations
- The waves: characteristics; wave equation
- Stationary waves: formation; harmonics
- Resonance and the propagation of sound waves in tubes
- The mechanisms of speech and earring
- Electromagnetic waves: the electromagnetic spectrum and its characteristics
- Lenses and mirrors: their uses and the thin lens formula
- The zoom mechanism and its use for the gathering of better images
- The human eye and the functioning of vision
- The electric charges: the concept of field and the interaction of electric charges
- The action potential in nervous and muscle cells: formation and propagation
- The electromiography

Mandatory literature

José Enrique Rodas Durán; Biofísica – Fundamentos e aplicações, Prentice Hall, São Paulo, 2003. ISBN: 85.87918.32-X

Complementary Bibliography

J. J. Pedroso de Lima; Biofísica Medica, Imprensa Universidade Coimbra, 2006
C. Gerthsen, Kneses, H. Voge; Física, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 1998. ISBN: 972-31-0705-8

Teaching methods and learning activities

Presentation of the matters by the professor, with exercises of application resolution, and whenever possible with practical demonstrations using elastic springs, mirrors or lenses, as adequate. Visualization and discussion of illustrative videos or simulations.

keywords

Physical sciences > Physics > Optics
Physical sciences > Physics > Acoustics
Physical sciences > Physics > Biophysics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Teste	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	66,00
Frequência das aulas	15,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

One test and one exam (in "Época Normal") are to be made. The minimum grade in each component (test and exam) is 7.5 values out of 20. Having a grade less 7.5 values implies the non admission to the exam. The students that have not obtained frequency through the test+exam and have the minimum amount of class presences, as established by law, are admitted to the final global exam, in the "Época de Recurso".

Calculation formula of final grade

Average of the test and exam: (T1+E1)/2
or
classification of the final exam (Época de Recurso)

Examinations or Special Assignments

Are not considered

Internship work/project

Are not considered

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Global final exam (in exam period, or not, accordingly to the law).

Classification improvement

Global final exam, in the "Época de Recurso"