Introduction
1
The discipline of environmental biophysics relates to the study of energy
and mass exchange between living organisms and their environment. The
study of environmental biophysics probably began earlier than that of
any other science, since knowledge of organis~nvironment interaction
provided a key to survival and progress. Systematic study of the science
and recording of experimental results, however, goes back only a few
hundred years. Recognition of environmental biophysics as a discipline
has occurred just within the past few decades.
Recent progress in environmental biophysics has been mainly in two
areas: use of mathematical models to quantify rates of energy and mass
transfer and use of conservation principles to analyze mass and energy
budgets of living organisms. In quantification of energy and mass transfer rates, environmental biophysicists have followed the lead of classical
physics and engineering. There, theoretical and empirical models have
been derived that can be applied to many of the transport problems encountered by the design engineer. These same models can be applied to
transport processes between living organisms and their surroundings.
This book is written with two objectives inmind. The first is to describe
and model the physical microenvironment in which living organisms reside. The second is to present simple models of energy and mass exchange
between organisms and their microenvironment with models of organism
response to these fluxes of energy and matter. One might consider this
a combined science and engineering approach to environmental biology
because the intent is to teach the student to calculate actual transfer rates
and to understand the principles involved. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate many of the principles, and problems are given at the
end of each chapter to help the student develop skill inusing the equations.
Working the problems should be considered as essential to gaining an understanding of modern environmental biophysics as it is to any course in
physics or engineering.
A list of symbols with definitions is provided at the beginning of this
book, and tables of data and conversions are in appendices at the end of
the book. It would be a good idea to look at those now, and use them
frequently as you go through the book. References are given at the end of
1
The discipline of environmental biophysics relates to the study of energy
and mass exchange between living organisms and their environment. The
study of environmental biophysics probably began earlier than that of
any other science, since knowledge of organis~nvironment interaction
provided a key to survival and progress. Systematic study of the science
and recording of experimental results, however, goes back only a few
hundred years. Recognition of environmental biophysics as a discipline
has occurred just within the past few decades.
Recent progress in environmental biophysics has been mainly in two
areas: use of mathematical models to quantify rates of energy and mass
transfer and use of conservation principles to analyze mass and energy
budgets of living organisms. In quantification of energy and mass transfer rates, environmental biophysicists have followed the lead of classical
physics and engineering. There, theoretical and empirical models have
been derived that can be applied to many of the transport problems encountered by the design engineer. These same models can be applied to
transport processes between living organisms and their surroundings.
This book is written with two objectives inmind. The first is to describe
and model the physical microenvironment in which living organisms reside. The second is to present simple models of energy and mass exchange
between organisms and their microenvironment with models of organism
response to these fluxes of energy and matter. One might consider this
a combined science and engineering approach to environmental biology
because the intent is to teach the student to calculate actual transfer rates
and to understand the principles involved. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate many of the principles, and problems are given at the
end of each chapter to help the student develop skill inusing the equations.
Working the problems should be considered as essential to gaining an understanding of modern environmental biophysics as it is to any course in
physics or engineering.
A list of symbols with definitions is provided at the beginning of this
book, and tables of data and conversions are in appendices at the end of
the book. It would be a good idea to look at those now, and use them
frequently as you go through the book. References are given at the end of