Physics of Biological Processes

Code:

FIS1006

Acronym:

FIS1006

Level:

100

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2021/2022 - 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	216	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 animal body. Standard Body
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 animal body - examples of joints
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 andanimal bodies
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 (advantage of regular physical exercise, 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 its pathological consequences. Elasticity in isotropic media - compression, tensile, bending, buckling, torsion. Fracture. Relevance of the different constituents (tissues) of the body in its mechanical behavior (bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, blood vessel, intestine). Fluid mechanics and applications to blood flow, 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 and solving of exercises (application of the themes presented in the lectures), individually or in groupd of students. These exercises are distributed to students at least a week in advance.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	35,00
Trabalho de campo	25,00
Teste	35,00
Trabalho escrito	5,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	104,00
Frequência das aulas	48,00
Trabalho de campo	10,00
Trabalho escrito	5,00
Total:	167,00

Eligibility for exams

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

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation of the course has 4 components:
(i) delivery of the solving of some proposed exercises (E),  
(ii) submission of a report of field work in scaling relations (TRE) - group work.
(iii) An evaluation of theoretical knowledge (PT) , consisting of some proposed questions on theory conducted during the semester (mini tests).
(iv) An overall individual test, PTP, consisting in a group of exercises and that can only be done by exam.
The final assessment (FA) is calculated by the formula

AF = (0.35 * PT + 0.35 * PTP + 0.25 * TRE + 0.05 * E) * 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 the field work and its report. Then, the final evaluation is given by


AF = (0.45 * PT + 0.45 * PTP + 0.05 * E) * 20

This option has to be comunicated by answering an inquiery via Moodle, in the beggining of the semester.

Classification improvement

Only the components of PTP can be object of grade improvement. The grade of the remaining components is mantained for global evaluation.

Observations

The responsability of this course is assigned to Doutora Manuela Lopes dos Santos, teacher of the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of Porto.
Because of the pandemic restrictions and their evolution, the classes and evaluation in this course may suffer some alterations in consequence.
The PTP evaluation will be presential. All the remaining ones will be online.