Physics of Biological Processes

Code:

FIS1006

Acronym:

FIS1006

Level:

100

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2016/2017 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Biology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	266	Official Study Plan	1	-	6	48	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

To:
• Know the units and dimensions of physical quantities in the essential physics of biological processes.
• Recognize the importance of scaling relations in biology and apply them in some simple cases.
• Make measurements accurately as well as the respective registration.
• Use basic techniques for data processing.
• Know the main results of the mechanics of rigid body and also of deformable solids and fluids; these principles are applied to biology (animal and / or vegetable).
• Recognize the importance of using models of physics and understanding the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological processes.
• Identify models of physics that allow us to analyze and model some biological processes.
• Describe and analyze some biological processes using the major outcomes of physics.
• Solve simple problems in biomechanics (mainly human, but in some cases animal and vegetable).

Learning outcomes and competences

Those refered to in "objectives"

Working method

Presencial

Program

DETAILED PROGRAMME

Chapter I

Introduction - Why Physics in the Life Sciences?

1. Measurements and sizes
1.1. Standard Units
1.2. SI units and sizes
1.3. Numbers. Precision and accuracy. Graphics.
2. Terminology of the human body
2.1. Movement in the human machine
2.2. Body pattern
3. Scaling relations
3.1. Isometry and allometry - relations with only one parameter
3.1.1. Isometry
3.1.1. Allometry
3.2. Scaling relations with more than one parameter
3.3. Scaling relations in the stimulus-response way
4. Mechanical stability.

Chapter II (mechanics of rigid and deformable bodies)

1. Statics of rigid bodies
1.1. Forces and translational equilibrium
1.2. Rotational equilibrium
1.3. Static human body and animal - examples of joints: head, elbow, ankle, hip joint (and their anatomical and clinical implications in the use of a cane), sacro-lumbar and temporomandibular joints (mammal vs. reptile)
2. Statics of deformable bodies
2.1. Material components of the body (matrix and some types of tissue)
2.2. Traction-compression. Hooke's Law
2.3. Other relationships of stress / strain in the hookian regime
2.4. Elastic strain energy
2.5. Flexion. Buckling
2.6. Twist
2.7. Time-dependent behavior (fatigue; viscoelasticity)

Chapter III (fluid mechanics)

1. Density
2. Pressure characteristics in the human body
2.1. Units and definitions
2.2. Measurement of pressure (atmospheric and blood)
2.3. Basic physics of pressure and flow in fluids
2.3.1. Law of Laplace (surface tension in blood vessels and Lung alveoli)
2.3.2. Fluids in motion - attributes: laminar / turbulent, compressible / incompressible, viscous / non viscous, rotational / irrotational, steady / pulsed
2.3.3. Continuity equation
2.3.4. Bernoulli's equation
2.3.5. Interaction between flow parameters
2.3.6. Viscous flow and Poiseuille's law (Newtonian and non-Newtonian regimes)
3. Blood viscosity
3.1. Parameters of resistance to blood flow
3.2. Factors determining the blood viscosity (shear rate, temperature, cell deformability of RBCs, flow rate, vessel diameter - Fahareus-Lindquist effect)
3.3. Analysis of some cases of biological processes in the bloodstream (VARICOSE veins; advantage of regular physical exercises, aneurysms, strokes, heart problems)

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Physical units in biology. Sizes in biology. Preparation of basic data analysis in experimental sciences. Relationship of scales in the life sciences. Mechanics of rigid and deformable bodies. Review of the functioning of joints. Posture and their pathological consequences, use of artificial supports (cane, crutches). Elasticity in isotropic media - compression, tensile, bending, buckling, torsion. Fracture. Relevance of the various hardware components of the body in its mechanical behavior (bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, intestine). Fluid mechanics and applications to blood flow, varicose veins, aneurysm, stroke, heart problems, the purpose of performing (or not) regular exercise.

Mandatory literature

Manuela Lopes dos Santos; "Física dos Processos Biológicos"

Complementary Bibliography

Sealey, Stephens, Tate ; "Anatomia e Fisiologia"
Russell K. Hobbie, Bradley Roth ; "Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology"
José Enrique Durán ; "Biofísica" – Fundamentos e Aplicações
Kane Sternheim ; "Physics"
Thomas F. Colton ; "Size and shape in Biology"
Irving. P. Herman ; "Physics of the Human Body"
Benedek George B.; Physics with illustrative examples from medicine and biology. ISBN: 0-387-98769-X Vol. 1

Teaching methods and learning activities

THEORETICAL classes: Explanation through
(i) slides of Powerpoint files,
(ii) oral discussion of the issues with students and
(iii) the use of blackboard.
PRACTICAL classes:
(i) explanation and application of direct physical measurements and data analyses (theory of errors and linear fit with the "Lin.Est.'s MicrosoftExcel)
(ii) Discussion / explanation of the exercises of application of the themes presented in the lectures. These exercises are distributed to students at least a week in advance.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Trabalho de campo	10,00
Trabalho laboratorial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance at 75% of the total number of lectures.
Waiver will be granted to students who have obtained frequency in one of the two previous years.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation of the course has three components:
(i) test on numerical analysis and graphics (ANG), individual
(ii) submission of a report of field work in scaling relations (R) - group work.
(ii) An overall individual test (PG) on the theory and that includes exercises, consisting of three partial tests conducted during the semester (mini tests). Or, as an alternative, by exam. At the time of appeal any of the partial exams, two or all three, can be performed.
The final assessment (FA) is calculated by the formula

AF = ang * (2 / 20) + R * (2.1 / 20) + PG * ((3 x 5.3) / 20).

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The evaluation is done in the same way that that in the previous sections but (a) student (a) may choose not to do field work and its report. Then, the final evaluation is given by

AF = ang * (2 / 20) * + PG (18/20).

This option has to be comunicated by e-mail to teachers during the firs week of the semester.

Classification improvement

Only the components of PG can be object of rating betterment. The classification of the remaining components is mantained for global evaluation.