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MEDICAL UNIVERSITY - PLEVEN

FACULTY OF MEDICINE
DIVISION OF MEDICAL PHYSICS AND BIOPHYSICS, PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL
SCIENCES
EXAMINATION SYNOPSIS IN

BIOPHYSICS

Academic year 2023

ENGLISH MEDIUM COURSE OF TRAINING

SPECIALTY OF MEDICINE

ACADEMIC DEGREE MASTER, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION DOCTOR OF

MEDICINE

1. The subjects of biophysics. Biophysics as an interdisciplinary science. Historical

background. iatro-physics. radiation biophysics.
2. The main subdivisions of Biophysics.
3. Molecular structure of biological systems. Microphysical and macrophysical behavior.
Anisotropy. Transformation of stochastic into deterministic behavior. Effective
parameters – examples.
4. Subject of thermodynamics. Thermodynamic system, boundary and surroundings.
Three dominant classes of thermodynamic systems. Homogenous and heterogenous
thermodynamic systems
5. Thermodynamic variables and thermodynamic state. Intensive and extensive variables
– examples.
6. Finding slopes or gradients. Total and partial differentials of state variables – thermo-
dynamic meaning. The mathematical definition of the total differential - importance to
thermodynamics.
7. Examples of reversible logical deductions. State functions. Conjugate variables – ex-
amples.
8. Thermodynamic equilibrium. Types of thermodynamic equilibria.
9. Thermodynamic processes - classification. Reversible and irreversible thermodynamic
processes. Bernard cells.
10. Equilibrium thermodynamics. Laws of thermodynamics.
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11. Different ways of stating the first law of thermodynamics. Mathematical formulation of
the law for isolated and closed systems. Sign convention.
12. Work in Thermodynamics: definition and formulas. Differential form of Gibbs
fundamental equation.
13. Limitations of the first law of thermodynamics.

14. Different ways of stating the second law of thermodynamics. Phenomenological

definition of entropy. Mathematical formulation of the second law for reversible and ir-
reversible processes. Clausius inequality.
15. Entropy changes of isolated, closed and open systems. The entropy change in an
irreversible process.
16. Order and probability. Statistical distribution of four spheres in two compartments of a
box. Thermodynamic probability – definitoion. The thermodynamic probability of a
crystal containing eight atoms at three different temperatures.
17. Boltzmann equation of entropy – logical conclusions. Boltzmann constant – definition
and unit of measure.
18. Information and entropy. Mathematical probability – examples. Comparison between
thermodynamic and mathematical probability. Statistical definition of entropy. Shannon
relation of information content.
19. Definition of one-bit information. Calculation of the information content of
macromolecules.
20. Syntactic and semantic information. Negentropy. Maxwell’s demon.
21. Thermodynamic potentials: internal energy and enthalpy. Physical meaning and
applications.
22. Helmholtz and Gibbs free energy. Physical meaning and applications.
23. Exothermic and endothermic reactions. Heat of a reaction. Exergonic and endergonic
reactions. Predicting whether a reaction can occur or not.
24. Chemical and electrochemical potentials. First law of thermodynamics for open
systems.
25. Linear non-equilibrium thermodynamics Definition and basic terms. Force and motion.
Thermodynamic meaning of gradients - examples. The relation between flux and
velocity. Flux equation.
26. Phenomenological equations. Onsager coefficients. Conjugated fluxes.
27. Total entropy balance of a thermodynamic system. Stationary state. Thermodynamic
equilibrium and steady state – criteria. Global and local equilibriums.
28. Dissipative function. Entropy and stability. Steady state.
29. Bioenergetics. Energy. Metabolism. Oxidation as a source of metabolic energy. ATP
and energy transduction.
30. Mechanism of coupling the oxidative–phosphorylation reactions.
31. A kinetic study of acid-catalyzed sucrose hydrolysis.
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32. Cell membranes. Plasma membrane. Internal membranes. Lipid bilayer – unit
membrane. Membrane functions.
33. Biological Membranes. Membrane lipids: the supporting structure. Phospholipids,
glycolipids and cholesterol. Membrane proteins – categories and functions. Membrane
dynamics. Cholesterol effects on membrane fluidity.
34. Molecular (size exclusion) chromatography: determination of molecular masses.
35. Thin-layer chromatography: qualitative analysis of membrane lipids.
36. The principles of electrophoresis. Electrophoretic mobility. Separation of proteins by
paper electrophoreses.
37. Classification of the transport of matter across cell membranes depending on the
transport mechanism, the energy supply, the number of transported species and
direction of their translocation, and the trans-membrane potential changes. Examples.
38. The structure and properties of model membranes. Procedure for the entrapment of
substances into liposomes. Preparation of hemosomes.
39. Erythrocyte stability and hemolysis. Chemical(acid) erythrogram. Studying acid
hemolysis of erythrocytes.
40. Free diffusion of non-charged particles. One-dimensional diffusion in uniform medium.
Flux of matter. Concentration gradient. Fick's law.
41. Free diffusion of charged particles. Nernst-Planck molar flux equation.
42. Simple diffusion through membranes. Fick's law of simple diffusion. Permeability.
43. Transport of water through membranes. Filtration and osmosis fluxes.
44. Osmosis. Factors underlying the processes of maintaining fluid balance in the body.
Structure of an osmometer. Comparing the osmotic pressures of two sucrose solutions
by osmometers.
45. Biophysics principles of hemodialysis: Transport of urea across a semipermeable
membrane.Time constant.
46. Facilitated diffusion: transport by carrier proteins. Saturability and specificity - important
characteristics of the membrane transport systems -examples.
47. Facilitated diffusion: transport by channels and pores. Three examples of pores
important for cellular physiology.
48. Carrier and channel-forming ionophores. Antibiotics that induce ion permeability.
49. Primary active transport: sodium-potassium ATP-ase. Putative structure of sodium-
potassium pump. Stoichiometry of the reaction. Basic steps of ion transport process.
50. Calcium ATP-ase. Putative structure of the calcium pump. Basic steps of the ion
transport process.
51. Secondary (ion gradient-driven) active transport. Glucose transport in the intestinal
epithelium. Brush border cells – structure and function.
52. Lactose permease. Putative mechanism of lactose transport in E. coli.
53. Microelectrophoresis: experimental determination of electrokinetic (zeta) potential.
54. Diffusion potential. The Henderson equation. Time dependence of diffusion potential.
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55. Membrane (equilibrium) potential. The Nernst equation.

56. Donnan potential. Approach to electrical and chemical equilibrium. Gibbs-Donnan
equation. Osmotic consequences of the Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium.
57. Generation of resting membrane potential. The Goldman and the Thomas equations.
Factors contributing to the resting potential.
58. Generation of action potential. Characteristics of action potentials. Nerves transmit
information as action potentials. Voltage-gated channels. Saltatory conduction.
59. Free radical biology – basic terms. Free radical reactions. Classification. Chemical
reactivity of free radicals.
60. Sources of free radical generation in human body.
61. Superoxide and singlet oxygen – generation and properties.
62. Initiation and propagation of lipid peroxidation.
63. Decomposition and termination stages of lipid peroxidation. Metal ions and the
peroxidation processes.
64. Copper-induced superoxide production in erythrocytes.
65. Lipid peroxidation: measuring malonedialdehyde concentration.
66. Singlet oxygen – generation and role in living systems.
67. Consequences of free-radical processes in living systems.
68. The most important enzymatic antioxidants. Mode of action.
69. Non-enzymatic antioxidants. Mode of action.
70. Lipid peroxidation and toxicology. Contribution of oxidative stress to atherosclerosis –
putative mechanism.
71. The importance of oxidative stress in the development of nervous system injury.

REFERENCES

1. Glaser R (2005) Biophysics. Springer-Verlag Berlin Hedelberg.

2. Roy RN (1999) A textbook of biophysics (For medical science and biological students). New Central
Book Agency (p) Ltd.
3. Halliwell B and Gutteridge J (2007). Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. 4th Edition, Oxford
University Press.
4. Boron WF, Boulpaep EL (2012). Medical Physiology: A Cellular and Molecular Approach. Updated
second edition, Copyright © 2012 by Saunders.
5. Alexandrova M, Magrisso M. (2011). Biophysics Laboratory Manual, Publishing Center, Medical
University-Pleven, 2011.
6. Alexandrova M. (2016) Biophysics Practice book. Test questions and problems, Publishing Center,
Medical University-Pleven.

AUTHOR OF THE PROGRAM OF STUDY:

 МЕДИЦИНСКИ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ- ПЛЕВЕН Версия 2
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Prof. Margarita Alexandrova, DSc, Head of the Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical
University-Pleven