This book is an introduction to the philosophy and practice of an interdisciplinary field in which biological systems are explored using the quantitative perspective of the physical scientist.
The second edition is partitioned into five sections: the central concept that science is a way of looking at the world; the physical under-pinnings of biophysical chemistry with an emphasis first on energy, work and forces of biological importance; exploring how models applicable to molecular biophysics are constructed; the three-dimensional potential energy surface put into motion; and a succinct discussion of the bio-physical methods used to evaluate structure and function in biological systems.
The Science and Philosophy of Biophysical Study * Physical Foundations * Measuring a System: Tools for Exploring Natural State Space * The Structure of Biological State Space: Building a Model of Aqueous Biochemistry * Function and Action in State Space * Epilogue * Appendixes A - M * Physical Constants * Answers to Selected Problems * Index.