This course is an introduction to some of the ways in which physics intersects with biology and medicine. The course begins with an exploration of the competition of energy and entropy in biological systems, and the role that these concepts play at the cellular level, followed by a discussion of fluid statics and dynamics as applied to biological media. The second half of the course is an introduction to the physics underlying some of the medical imaging techniques used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Topics include X-ray (transmission) radiography, basic principles of ultrasonography, radioactivity, and a brief investigation into the biological effects of radiation.
This course is an introduction to some of the ways in which physics intersects with biology and medicine. The course begins with an exploration of the competition of energy and entropy in biological systems, and the role that these concepts play at the cellular level, followed by a discussion of fluid statics and dynamics as applied to biological media. The second half of the course is an introduction to the physics underlying some of the medical imaging techniques used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Topics include X-ray (transmission) radiography, basic principles of ultrasonography, radioactivity, and a brief investigation into the biological effects of radiation.
