The French word biophysique derived, in our language, from the term biophysics. The concept is used to name the analysis of biological phenomena through the precepts of physics.
Biophysics is often considered as a specialty of physics that generates knowledge of interest to biology. Anyway, it can also be pointed out that biophysics is a branch of biology that provides evidence for physics.
Another way of defining biophysics is as the discipline that consists of the application of the methods and theories of physics in the field of biology. Thus it is possible to increase the knowledge of biological systems.
What biophysics does, in short, is to create a link between biology (a science that studies living things in all their complexity) and physics (a specialty focused on the laws that regulate the behavior of nature). Biophysics is responsible for shortening the distance between the complexity of living organisms and the simplicity of physical laws. To achieve this, he searches for patterns in living beings and then analyzes them with the tools of physics.
Since life is the result of numerous physical-chemical processes, biophysics is in charge of studying the actors that participate in these processes, such as proteins and other molecules.
In biophysics, different areas can be recognized:
* biomechanics: focuses on the study of phenomena, laws and models that are relevant to the movement of living things (which includes static, dynamics and kinematics) and the structural response of various parts of the body;
* bioacoustics: generally, it is about the investigation of the way in which the sound is generated, as well as in the way in which it is dispersed by a medium and in which the animals perceive it;
* Molecular motors: is interested in the way in which RNA and proteins, among other macromolecules, carry out mechanical work as the basis of their operation;
* protein dynamics: analyzes the molecular movements of proteins that are related to their function, their folding or their structure;
* molecular communication: the act of transmitting and receiving information through molecules.
It is known as the National School of Molecular Biophysics to an act that takes place every year since 2000 in the Mexican state of Sonora, in the physics department of its University, and lasts over a week. The purpose of this event is to bring together many specialists in the field to provide various seminars that serve to increase awareness.
Among the people who attend this biophysics convention are researchers, teachers and students from various areas, such as chemistry, biology and physics, who belong to many universities in the country as well as abroad. The school is divided into four short courses supplemented by various lectures of an investigative nature. In general, the organization has enough budget to provide accommodation and meals to some of the students, for which it is necessary to make the relevant request.
The history of this event dates back to the beginning of this century, and was originally called “Molecular Biophysics Summer School.” The decision to change the name was based on the national character of the school; however, it is commonly referred to simply as “School of Biophysics.” It is important to highlight that its objective is to benefit students of all levels, so no one should be left out if they are really passionate about the subject.
