Specialized Instrumentation 



Introduction to Part F 



It is important that a biophysicist include mathematical 

 biophysics in his tool box without becoming lost in mathe- 

 matics. It is likewise important that he be familiar with 

 special physical equipment used in biological research 

 without becoming a gadgeteer. To present this point of 

 view, the last six chapters deal with selected examples of 

 biophysical instruments. The theory of their function is 

 emphasized rather than the engineering details of their 

 construction. 



Extra emphasis is given to absorption spectrophotom- 

 etry; its discussion occupies the first two chapters of 

 Part F. The important role of spectrophotometry in 

 current biological research, coupled with the store of 

 information potentially available from molecular spectra, 

 make these two chapters very important. The remaining 

 four chapters each present a different field of instrumenta- 

 tion, namely magnetic measurements, microscopy, tracer 

 techniques, and electronic computers. The only justifica- 

 tion for these choices rather than any of numerous other, 

 equally important types of instrumentation is that they are 

 ones with which the author is not only familiar but which 

 he also feels are instructive to students in a variety of 

 disciplines. It is hoped that this concluding section of 

 the text will give a balanced view of biophysics, ranging 

 from purely mathematical analyses to applied instrumen- 

 tation, and from the characteristics of complete organisms 

 to the form of the molecules which compose them. 



479 



