Updates

Spring 2024

Biology 3550/3551 will next be offered Spring Semester, 2024. The class will meet from 9:40 to 10:30 AM in room 2002 of the Henry Eyring Building (HEB). The first day of classes is Monday, 8 January.

Canvas will be used for many aspects of the course, including submitting homework assignments. Class materials, including lecture notes and slides will be posted on this web page, but these materials will also be available via links in Canvas.

If you have questions about the course, feel free to contact the instructor, Prof. David Goldenberg at:

Welcome to Biology 3550/3551

Physical Principles in Biology

Biology 3550/3551 is an interdisciplinary course designed to highlight the many connections between the physical and biological sciences.

This course is intended for undergraduate majors in any of the sciences:

Biology majors can expect to learn how the principles they have learned in chemistry, math and physics classes can lead to a deeper understanding of biological processes.
Majors in the physical sciences and mathematics will learn about new and challenging applications for their disciplines.
Biology 3550/3551 satisfies graduation requirements for:
- Biology major
- Chemistry minor
- Chemistry major (Biological Chemistry track)
- B.S. Quantitative Intensive (QI) requirement
Please see your departmental academic advisor for details.
Students from other disciplines are also welcome! (See the list of prerequisites below.)

Special note for Biology 3551 (honors)

Biol. 3551 is designated as an Honors class and enrollment is restricted to students in the Honors College. However, the two classes meet together and their requirements and policies are identical. Furthermore, there is no distinction in grading for students enrolled in Biol. 3550 or Biol. 3551. The distinction between the courses is entirely administrative and is intended to ensure that spaces are available to all students.

Topics to be covered include:

Probability
Random walks and diffusion
Energy and thermodynamics
Molecular motors
And more! (See the Lecture Schedule)

Course prerequisites:

BIOL 2020 or BIOL 2021
Chem 1220 or Chem 1221
MATH 1180 or MATH 1220
Recommended: PHYS 2020 or PHYS 2120 or PHYS 2220 or PHYS 3220
If you have any concerns about your preparation for this class, please feel free to contact the instructor.

Disclaimer

The information provided here and in the course syllabus does not represent a binding legal contract. It may be modified by the instructor when students are given reasonable notice of the change.