The use of methods from the physical sciences to aid in the study of biological systems. Note that biophysics questions are only allowed if they are mainly about physics.
Questions tagged [biophysics]
672 questions
72
votes
3 answers
How can ants carry items much heavier than themselves?
This morning I saw an ant and suddenly a question came to my mind: how do ants actually carry items much heavier than themselves?
What's the difference (in physics) between us and them?
Paul
- 3,455
11
votes
1 answer
How's the strain developed?
I was reading about DNA supercoiling and stumbled upon the following:
DNAs derived from a given cellular source have a characteristic degree of supercoiling. Thus the DNA is strained.
In most instance the strain is a result of underwinding of …
Tyto alba
- 319
5
votes
4 answers
Does human body have a centre of mass?
According to this site,
The center of mass of the human body depends on the gender and the position of the limbs. In a standing posture, it is typically about 10 cm lower than the navel, near the top of the hip bones.
And in this site,
In the…
Nilay Ghosh
- 1,138
5
votes
6 answers
Why do we lift our feet when we walk?
I'm not sure if this is a good question for here- albeit if I asked it somewhere else I'd want the physical argument. Why do we lift our feet when we walk, as opposed to doing something like shuffling? Does it consume more energy to shuffle our…
user24082
4
votes
2 answers
Examples of circuitry using proton currents
Proton cuircuits and proton motive force are part of standard discussion in biology and processes involving photosynthesis. The sort of proton currents discussed in biology are obviously slightly different than the magnetically confined proton…
Humble
- 2,194
4
votes
1 answer
How do sunflowers rotate?
Is there a physics mechanism to explain how sunflowers rotate to always face the sun?
I tried to find more information or references using google search, but no luck.
Revo
- 16,956
2
votes
1 answer
How much energy (eV) is in a mosquito's wing beat?
We're all familiar with the annoying sound of a mosquito near our ear. I estimate the wing beat frequency to be in the 400 to 800Hz range (to accomodate the Bruce Willis and Danny de Vito of mosquitos :-)
I was wondering if we can guesstimate the…
Jens
- 3,659
2
votes
1 answer
What happens to proteins under x ray/gamma ray radiation?
A simple question to which I am yet to find an answer. I have not found any papers which would go into detail about it, there is some stuff on protein damage in x-ray crystallography but they are looking at the crystallized proteins, I am interested…
leb
- 73
1
vote
0 answers
Does physics allow for many competing biologies or only one biology?
Does physics allow for many competing biologies or only one biology? I read sci-books about life based on silicon and I've read an article that said that other structure than DNA can encode genetic…
Sayaman
- 791
1
vote
0 answers
How nerve impulses are coded?
Various stimuli from our sense organs travel as electrical signals through nerves to our brain. But how is the information coded in that signal? Is that in the form of magnitude of potential, frequency, etc.?
dsvthampi
- 941
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1
vote
1 answer
Decompression sickness
In decompression sickness why does nitrogen gas come out as bubbles? Is it because under high pressure the nitrogen gas was converted into liquid nitrogen and during the process of coming to the surface (depressurisation)the liquid nitrogen evolved…
Tyto alba
- 319
1
vote
2 answers
Brain and UV rays
I heard that brain can be switched off using ultra violet rays. I seek experts comments on this. Is it true? If it is so how it is possible to control brain by UV rays?
Vish
- 131
0
votes
1 answer
Is a human one thing not larger than one atom, yet he can sense where his body is touched, or he is not one thing, or atom is not the limit of size?
For example, a human can sense if their head or toe is touched and the distance between his head and toe is more than the size of one atom;
is that human one thing not larger than one atom, yet strangely he can sense where his body (that is longer…
0
votes
1 answer
does second harmonic generation (SHG) take place in amorphous materials or disordered molecular assembly?
A review paper claims that SHG can take place in biological samples, that is when the endogenous molecules assemble themselves reasonably in order, such as collagen fibril in connective tissues. I wonder if there is a reason why a degree of order is…
FAN FAN
- 29
0
votes
1 answer
Dynamic Light Scattering
In the Dynamic Light Scattering experiment, how is the intensity distribution plotted against time, keeping in view the multiple scattering of photon particles in laser ?
stp30
- 387