Chapter 37 



BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA 



Many of the scientific explanations for various biologic phenomena 

 come from a knowledge of chemistry and physics. In fact, a complete 

 understanding of the structures and functions of plants and animals 

 must be made from the chemical and physical standpoints. The progress 

 in the fields of chemistry and physics and their contributions to biology 

 have become so extensive that such sciences as biochemistry and bio- 

 physics are essential in the explanations of the phenomena of living or- 

 ganisms. Numerous biochemical and biophysical phenomena have been 

 considered throughout the text, but it seems desirable to give additional 

 explanations for some which have been described previously as well as 

 to discuss others which have not been considered in great detail. 



Chemical and Physical Properties of Living Protoplasm 



These properties of living protoplasm have been considered previously, 

 and in order to lay a proper background for considering other phe- 

 nomena it is desirable that a review be made of them. The chemical 

 construction of living protoplasm is influenced by the chemicals avail- 

 able from foods, but the actual composition of specific materials and 

 their complex associations within it are determined by certain natural 

 laws. Some of these laws must be understood in order to explain the 

 structures and living process in plants and animals. A few of the more 

 important are considered and possibly additional reading of selected ref- 

 erences will be highly desirable in certain instances. 



Atoms and Molecules 



The universe is composed of two fundamental components called 

 energy and matter. Under certain conditions these two may be inter- 

 converted. To the average person energy and matter may seem to be 

 unrelated, but Einstein's equation suggests a close relationship: E = 

 mc^ (E = energy; m = mass; c = the velocity of light, which is con- 



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