Biophysics is a branch of medical science which applies principles based in the physical sciences—including chemistry and physics—and methods of computer modeling and mathematical analysis to understand how complex biological systems operate at the molecular level. Concentrating on the study of biological reactions from the perspective of physical sciences, the field of biophysics strips complex biological reactions down to the most basic nuts-and-bolts to uncover the dynamics of biological systems.
Biophysics is very much a molecular science, with an emphasis on understanding how systems work by studying the physical and chemical structure of their components. Proteins, DNA, RNA, fats,
carbohydrates, and other molecules are the building blocks of life, and biophysics seeks to understand the chemical and physical reactions by which these molecules interact with one another.
Biophysicists use a wide range of techniques and equipment to find out the answers to questions relating to the chemical and physical structure and behavior of biological molecules such as the following—
- How do does a linear protein sequence fold itself into a three dimensional structure?
- How does a DNA molecule untwist during replication and protein production?
- How does the ear detect sound, or the nose detect odor, or the taste buds detect a taste?
- How do muscles convert energy into movement?
- How do cells communicate with one another and transport molecules from one to another?
Biophysicists tend to use a highly eclectic approach to study these types of questions. For example, they may use biochemical analysis to identify the types of molecules involved in a specific biological process, then use chemical and physical spectroscopic equipment to determine the structure and chemical make-up of the molecules. Studying the actual reactions is different again, with highly sensitive and precise equipment which can measure the properties and interactions of small groups of molecules in isolation.
Understanding how biological systems operate at their most basic level—at the level of molecular structure and interactions—is of enormous value in medical science, and of course to expand the scope of human knowledge itself.
Understanding the molecular, chemical, and physical reactions which control how proteins interact with DNA, with other proteins, and with other biological molecules opens up the possibility of developing ways of preventing or treating diseases in new and more effective ways. These reactions, in turn, are governed by the chemical and physical structure of biological molecules, making an interdisciplinary field which incorporates physical sciences in the study of biological processes a particularly important one.
For example, DNA unfolding and interactions during the processes of transcription or replication is controlled by the physical shapes of DNA and the molecules it interacts with, which in turn is controlled by their chemical structures. Understanding how DNA unfolds, and how the unfolded strands interact
with other molecules in the processes of transcription or replication, provides some insight into how errors in transcription and replication occur. Understanding the molecular basis of these processes in turn provides insight into how errors cause the development of disease, and in turn how diseases might be better treated or prevented.