Introducing Biology to Physicists module (PH51009)

Biophysics is an interdisciplinary field that applies physics principles to understand biological systems, from the molecular scale to whole organisms. Biophysics has many applications, from understanding the fundamental processes of life to developing new therapies and technologies. For example, biophysicists might study the structure of proteins to create new drugs, use imaging techniques to diagnose diseases or design new materials inspired by biological systems. 

In this module, you will be introduced to fundamental areas of biology in a manner that requires little background knowledge of the subject. You will study the connections between length and time scales in biology and the role of physics in informing biology at all these scales. 

Topics include: 

• Darwin’s theory of evolution 
• Mendelian genetics 
• Tree of life 
• Basics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells 
• Structure and functions of proteins 
• Structure of DNA, DNA replication, transcription, translation 
• Protein folding 
• Membrane structure, membrane transport 
• Metabolism and mitochondria 
• Cytoskeleton 
• Cell cycle 
• Germ cells, fertilisation, development