Biological Thermodynamics

This inter-disciplinary guide to the thermodynamics of living organisms has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a uniquely integrated overview of the subject. Retaining its highly readable style, it will serve as an introduction to the study of energy transformation in the life sciences and particularly as an accessible means for biology, biochemistry and bioengineering undergraduate students to acquaint themselves with the physical dimension of their subject. The emphasis throughout the text is on understanding basic concepts and developing problem-solving skills. The mathematical difficulty increases gradually by chapter, but no calculus is required. Topics covered include energy and its transformation, the First Law of Thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy, statistical thermodynamics, binding equilibria and reaction kinetics. Each chapter comprises numerous illustrative examples taken from different areas of biochemistry, as well as a broad range of exercises and references for further study.

An accessible introduction to thermodynamics for undergraduate biology and biochemistry students.

Enrico Di Cera, a rising star in biophysics, has organized a superb group of authors to write substantial chapters covering the most exciting and central issues relating to the bioenergetic aspects of proteins, nucleic acids, and their interactions. Topics covered in this book are protein and nucleic acid folding and stability, enzyme-substrate interactions, prediction of the affinity of complexes, electrostatics, and non-equilibrium aspects of protein function. The breadth of the topics covered in this book illustrates the growing importance of thermodynamic approaches in the study of biological phenomena. The book should be of wide interest to biophysicists, biochemists, and structural biologists.

No detailed description available for "Thermodynamics and Regulation of Biological Processes".

Gain a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics with a minimum of mathematics-a guide for individuals in the biological sciences An understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics is essential for researchers investigating molecular phenomena in diverse disciplines, including bioorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biology. The use of these physical chemistry tools in the biological sciences has exploded over the past fifteen years, but the majority of works on thermodynamics and kinetics require mathematical expertise beyond that of many researchers in the field. Presenting a highly accessible introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics, Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences employs a minimum of mathematics, assuming only a basic calculus background, while treating a wide range of topics in a logical and easy-to-follow style. All principles and concepts are clearly illustrated through the use of relevant applications and examples from the biological sciences, and explanations are further enhanced with problems and up-to-date references. Written by a world-renowned authority on biochemical kinetics, this remarkable book also features an easy-to-understand statistical development of entropy and a more extensive coverage of chemical kinetics and ligand binding to macromolecules than is usually found in books of this kind. Readers will acquire a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics that they can readily apply to biological systems and use for exploring the scientific literature.

Molecular Driving Forces, Second Edition E-book is an introductory statistical thermodynamics text that describes the principles and forces that drive chemical and biological processes. It demonstrates how the complex behaviors of molecules can result from a few simple physical processes, and how simple models provide surprisingly accurate insights into the workings of the molecular world. Widely adopted in its First Edition, Molecular Driving Forces is regarded by teachers and students as an accessible textbook that illuminates underlying principles and concepts. The Second Edition includes two brand new chapters: (1) "Microscopic Dynamics" introduces single molecule experiments; and (2) "Molecular Machines" considers how nanoscale machines and engines work. "The Logic of Thermodynamics" has been expanded to its own chapter and now covers heat, work, processes, pathways, and cycles. New practical applications, examples, and end-of-chapter questions are integrated throughout the revised and updated text, exploring topics in biology, environmental and energy science, and nanotechnology. Written in a clear and reader-friendly style, the book provides an excellent introduction to the subject for novices while remaining a valuable resource for experts.

The first edition of this book was greeted with broad interest from readers en gaged in various disciplines of biophysics. I received many stimulating and en couraging responses, however, some of the book's reviewers wanted to stress the fact that an extensive literature of network theory was not included or reported in the book. But the main aspect of the book is intended to be substantive rather than methodical: networks simply serve as a remedy for doing some first steps in analysing and modelling complex biological systems. For an advanced stage in the investigation of a particular system it may be appropriate to replace the pheno menological network method by more detailed techniques like statistical equations or computer simulations. According to this intention, the second edition of the book has been enlarged by further biological examples for network analysis, not by more network theory. There is a completely new section on a network model for photoreception. For this section I am obliged to J. Tiedge who did most of the detailed calculation and to my colleague Professor Stieve with whom we have had a very fruitful cooperation. Also I would like to mention that this work has been sponsored by the "Deutsche Forschungsgemei nschaft" i n the "Sonderforschungsberei ch 160". Recent results for excitable systems represented by feedback networks have also been included in the second edition, especially for limit cycle networks.

No detailed description available for "Thermodynamics of Biological Processes".