Physics and biology

This review examines the relationship between physics and biology. The views of Bohr, Wigner, Elsasser, and Schr\"odinger are discussed, and the inadequacy is discussed of ``physical vitalism'', which holds that the currently-existing physics (thermodynamics and quantum mechanics) contradicts biology. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is treated, both linear and non-linear. The necessity is emphasized of working with the value of information in studying biological processes. Eigen's theory of selection and evolution of biological macromolecules is analyzed, and it is shown that the parameter of selective value does not correspond to the value of information. The physical meaning of the genetic code is discussed, as well as physical approaches to certain problems of molecular biology, in particular, enzymatic catalysis. Physics, considered as the overall science of the structure and properties of matter and fields, suffices for understanding biological phenomena, and its current conceptions do not face any limits of applicability in biology.

PACS: 87.15.By, 36.20.Ey, 87.14.Ee, 02.10.Ud (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU1973v016n02ABEH005165
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1973/2/c/
Citation: Vol’kenshtein M V "Physics and biology" Sov. Phys. Usp. 16 207–216 (1973)

BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks

Оригинал: Волькенштейн М В «Биология и физика» УФН 109 499–515 (1973); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0109.197303c.0499

Cited by (4) Similar articles (20) ↓

M.V. Vol’kenshtein “The essence of biological evolution” 27 515–537 (1984)
B.K. Vainshtein “Three-dimensional electron microscopy of biological macromolecules” 16 185–206 (1973)
M.V. Vol’kenshtein “Physics of muscle contraction” 13 269–288 (1970)
S.E. Bresler “Some problems of molecular biology and physics” 7 789–796 (1965)
V.Yu. Gavrilov, Yu.N. Zograf “The nature of the biochemical code” 5 634–648 (1963)
S.E. Bresler “PROBLEMS OF BIOPHYSICS” 12 534–564 (1970)
V.N. Tsvetkov “Flow birefringence and the structure of macromolecules” 6 639–681 (1964)
V.I. Gol’danskii, V.V. Kuz’min “Spontaneous breaking of mirror symmetry in nature and the origin of life” 32 1–29 (1989)
M.D. Frank-Kamenetskii, A.V. Vologodskii “Topological aspects of the physics of polymers: The theory and its biophysical applications” 24 679–696 (1981)
B.I. Sedunov, D.A. Frank-Kamenetskii “Dielectric constants of biological objects” 6 279–293 (1963)
M.V. Vol’kenshtein “Problems in the theoretical physics of polymers” 2 59–81 (1959)
V.A. Kizel’ “Modern status of the theory of light reflection” 10 485–508 (1968)
A.S. Davydov “Solitons in quasi-one-dimensional molecular structures” 25 898–918 (1982)
S.K. Nechaev “Problems of probabilistic topology: the statistics of knots and non-commutative random walks” 41 313–347 (1998)
A.A. Vedenov, A.M. Dykhne, M.D. Frank-Kamenetskii “The helix-coil transition in DNA” 14 715–736 (1972)
V.A. Kizel’ “Optical activity and dissymmetry in living systems” 23 277–295 (1980)
M.D. Frank-Kamenetskii, V.V. Anshelevich, A.V. Lukashin “Polyelectrolyte model of DNA” 30 317–330 (1987)
Yu.F. Krupyanskii, V.I. Gol’danskii “Dynamical properties and energy landscape of simple globular proteins” 45 1131–1151 (2002)
D.S. Chernavskii “The origin of life and thinking from the viewpoint of modern physics” 43 151–176 (2000)
T.V. Tropin, Ju.W.P. Schmelzer, V.L. Aksenov “Modern aspects of the kinetic theory of glass transition” 59 42–66 (2016)

The list is formed automatically.