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In recent years, new scientific disciplines have emerged that combine basic scientific approaches to better understand more complex phenomena. Biophysics is one of those disciplines, relatively young in the scientific world. It is estimated that the first biophysical study, dedicated to animal bioluminescence, was carried out in the 17th century. However, its results are already applied in different fields and its principles are included in programmes such as the degree in Biotechnology in Madrid and the degree in Biotechnology Valencia.
Biology studies life in all its variety to understand how organisms feed, communicate, reproduce, and survive in their environment. Instead, physics studies the properties of matter and energy, seeking the laws that explain natural phenomena.
Biophysics is a science that combines the theoretical nature of physics with the experimental spirit of biology to better understand living beings.
Basically, biophysics examines life at all levels, from molecules to cells and the most complex organisms, but following the principles and methods of physics to describe their behaviour. It tries to understand the physical environment of life, which implies the exploration of phenomena such as bioelectricity, bioluminescence or biomagnetism.
In fact, biophysics has generated different areas of study. Biomechanics, for example, analyses the processes of the human body to understand the application of internal and external forces, while bioacoustics studies the production of sound waves in the animal world.
Biophysics allows us to reconsider the traditional boundaries between inorganic matter and organic life, since both worlds are subject to the influence of the fundamental forces of physics. Therefore, this discipline provides a more complete vision of life and helps to better understand its differences with inanimate matter.
However, the implications of biophysics go beyond the theoretical level. Biophysicists have extensive training in physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology, so they study everything from how nerve cells communicate to how plant cells capture light and transform it into energy.
This discipline has contributed to great advances in medical technology. Diagnostic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography would not exist without the contributions of biophysics. In fact, it is also behind pacemakers and cardiographs, as it explains the use of electricity in muscle contraction and nerve impulses.
Disciplines such as microbiophysics, for example, have made it possible to understand the structure of DNA molecules, facilitating their sequencing and analysis. Biophysicists are also involved in developing computer simulation models to observe and manipulate the shapes and structures of proteins, viruses, and other complex molecules, essential information for the development of new drugs and medical treatments.
In addition, biophysics plays a leading role in fields such as bioengineering, nanotechnology and biomaterials. Biophysical discoveries are the basis for designing better prostheses and optimised nanomaterials that can deliver drugs to increase therapeutic efficacy.