Living At Micro Scale Biological Consequences Of Low Reynol

Kermit the Frog famously said that it isn’t easy being green, and in Living at Micro Scale David Dusenbery shows that it isn’t easy being small—existing at the size of, say, a rotifer, a tiny multicellular animal just at the boundary between the visible and the microscopic. “Imagine,” he writes, “stepping off a curb and waiting a week for your foot to hit the ground.” At that scale, we would be small enough to swim inside the letter O in the word “rotifer.” What are the physical consequences of life at this scale? How do such organisms move, identify prey and predators and (if they’re so inclined) mates, signal to one another, and orient themselves? In clear and engaging prose, Dusenbery uses straightforward physics to demonstrate the constraints on the size, shape, and behavior of tiny organisms. While recounting the historical development of the basic concepts, he unearths a corner of microbiology rich in history, and full of lessons about how science does or does not progress. Marshalling findings from different fields to show why tiny organisms have some of the properties they are found to have, Dusenbery shows a science that doesn’t always move triumphantly forward, and is dependent to a great extent on accident and contingency.

This textbook is an introduction to the Brownian motion of colloids and nano-particles, and the diffusion of molecules. One very appealing aspect of Brownian motion, as this book illustrates, is that the subject connects a broad variety of topics, including thermal physics, hydrodynamics, reaction kinetics, fluctuation phenomena, statistical thermodynamics, osmosis and colloid science. The book is based on a set of lecture notes that the authors used for an undergraduate course at the University of Utrecht, Netherland. It aims to provide more than a simplified qualitative description of the subject, without getting bogged down in difficult mathematics. Each chapter contains exercises, ranging from straightforward ones to more involved problems, addressing instances from (thermal motion in) chemistry, physics and life sciences. Exercises also deal with derivations or calculations that are skipped in the main text. The book offers a treatment of Brownian motion on a level appropriate for bachelor/undergraduate students of physics, chemistry, soft matter and the life sciences. PhD students attending courses and doing research in colloid science or soft matter will also benefit from this book.

Offers a review of key aspects of BioMEMS sensors, including BioMEMS sensors and materials, means of manipulating biological entities at the microscale, and micro-fluidics and characterization.

Morphodynamics is defined as the unique interaction among environment, functional morphology, developmental constraints, phylogeny, and time—all of which shape the evolution of life. These fabricational patterns and similarities owe their regularity not to a detailed genetic program, but to extrinsic factors, which may be mechanical, chemical, or biological in nature. These self-organizing mechanisms are the focus of Morphodynamics. Illustrated by numerous examples from across the biological spectrum, this book embodies the foundation of noted paleontologist Adolf Seilacher’s thinking on the study of morphodynamics. It represents his unique approach of presenting paleontology from an ecological and constructional perspective, rather than a purely taxonomic one. The hallmark of Seilacher’s storied career has been a constructional and functional focus. He begins by discussing the basic principles—form, pattern formation, ecology and evolution, as well as the factors that override those processes. Next, he examines how morphodynamic principles are implemented in various invertebrates including single-celled protists, Ediacarans, sponges, coelenterates, shelled organisms, worms, arthropods, and echinoderms. The final chapter explores how morphogenetic principles may apply to clonal colonial organisms. Summarizing seventy years of research into the interactions of form, function, and evolution, the book is copiously illustrated with the author’s own distinctive drawings and an abundance of photos. It provides a framework for readers to pose their own questions and sharpen their interpretive skills on this fascinating topic.

The book describes models of aquatic ecosystems, ranging from lakes to estuaries to the deep ocean. It provides a background in the physical and biological processes, numerical methods and elementary ecosystem models. It describes two of the most widely used hydrodynamic models and presents a number of case studies. The practice of modelling in management is discussed.

This volume contains an archival record of the NATO Advanced Institute on Microscale Heat Transfer – Fundamental and Applications in Biological and Microelectromechanical Systems held in Çesme – Izmir, Turkey, July 18–30, 2004. The ASIs are intended to be high-level teaching activity in scientific and technical areas of current concern. In this volume, the reader may find interesting chapters and various Microscale Heat Transfer Fundamental and Applications. The growing use of electronics, in both military and civilian applications has led to the widespread recognition for need of thermal packaging and management. The use of higher densities and frequencies in microelectronic circuits for computers are increasing day by day. They require effective cooling due to heat generated that is to be dissipated from a relatively low surface area. Hence, the development of efficient cooling techniques for integrated circuit chips is one of the important contemporary applications of Microscale Heat Transfer which has received much attention for cooling of high power electronics and applications in biomechanical and aerospace industries. Microelectromechanical systems are subject of increasing active research in a widening field of discipline. These topics and others are the main themeof this Institute.

This full-colour undergraduate textbook, based on a two semestercourse, presents the fundamentals of biological physics,introducing essential modern topics that include cells, polymers,polyelectrolytes, membranes, liquid crystals, phase transitions,self-assembly, photonics, fluid mechanics, motility, chemicalkinetics, enzyme kinetics, systems biology, nerves, physiology, thesenses, and the brain. The comprehensive coverage, featuring in-depth explanations ofrecent rapid developments, demonstrates this to be one of the mostdiverse of modern scientific disciplines. The Physics of Living Processes: A Mesoscopic Approach iscomprised of five principal sections: • Building Blocks • Soft Condensed Matter Techniques in Biology • Experimental Techniques • Systems Biology • Spikes, Brains and the Senses The unique focus is predominantly on the mesoscale —structures on length scales between those of atoms and themacroscopic behaviour of whole organisms. The connections betweenmolecules and their emergent biological phenomena provide a novelintegrated perspective on biological physics, making this animportant text across a variety of scientific disciplines includingbiophysics, physics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering andbioengineering. An extensive set of worked tutorial questions are included,which will equip the reader with a range of new physical tools toapproach problems in the life sciences from medicine,pharmaceutical science and agriculture.

The application of biotechnology in the food sciences has led to an increase in food production and enhanced the quality and safety of food. Food biotechnology is a dynamic field and the continual progress and advances have not only dealt effectively with issues related to food security but also augmented the nutritional and health aspects of food. Advances in Food Biotechnology provides an overview of the latest development in food biotechnology as it relates to safety, quality and security. The seven sections of the book are multidisciplinary and cover the following topics: GMOs and food security issues Applications of enzymes in food processing Fermentation technology Functional food and nutraceuticals Valorization of food waste Detection and control of foodborne pathogens Emerging techniques in food processing Bringing together experts drawn from around the world, the book is a comprehensive reference in the most progressive field of food science and will be of interest to professionals, scientists and academics in the food and biotech industries. The book will be highly resourceful to governmental research and regulatory agencies and those who are studying and teaching food biotechnology.