Biophysics

Physics of unit The study of physics is not only the qualitative knowledge but it is also quantitative. So there is need for measurements. E.g. measurements of time, mass, speed , force, acceleration etc.

 Physical quantity: a quantity which can

be measured directly and indirectly and can be expressed in terms of law of physics is known as physical quantity.

Unit : the unit of a physical quantity is

standard quantity used as standard or reference to measure it.

 While measuring a physical quantity Q we have to find out the number of times the unit is repeated in physical quantity. E.g. weight of the person = 70 kg or 70 1kg where kg is std. unit to measure the weight and 70 is the numerical value or say no. of times the unit is repeated in physical quantity. so physical quantity = no. standard unit Q=nu

 Characteristics of units: 1. Well defined 2. It should be of proper magnitude- neither too small nor too large. 3. Widely acceptable 4. Easily reproducible 5. Not change with time ,place and physical conditions 6. Accessible .

 Fundamental quantities: 7 basic or fundamental physical quantities : 1. Mass 2. Length 3. Time 4. Temperature 5. Luminous intensity 6. Electric current 7. Amount of substance

Derived physical quantities

These quantities can be expressed in terms of fundamental physical quantities,

e.g. velocity, force, acceleration etc. Velocity=length/time Force = mass x acceleration Acceleration = velocity/time

Fundamental units
The units of fundamental physical quantities . e.g. kilogram(kg) , metre (m), second (s), kelvin(K)

Derived units
Units of physical quantities which are expressed in terms of fundamental units are called derived units. These are the units of derived physical quantities. E. g units of derived physical quantity ( velocity, force, acceleration) are expressed in terms of units of (mass, length, time) fundamental physical quantities.

Units of length, mass and time Units of Length: Multiples of units of length in Metric system and British system
Metric system 1000 Micrometers () = 1 Millimetres(mm) 10 Millimetres (mm) = 1 Centimetre (cm) 10 Centimetres (cm) = 1 Decimetre (dm) British system 12 inch = 1 foot 3 feet = 1yard 5.5 yard=1rad

10 metres = 1 Decametre (dam) 10 Decametre (dm)= 1 hectometre (hm)

10 Hectometre (hm)= 1 kilometre (km)

1760 yard= 1 mile

Examples:
Size of the RBC is measured in micro-metres (m). A doctor will measure size of swelling in cm or size of skin eruption in (mm).

Various tools / instruments are used to measure the length/distances. Long distances by tapes Small distance by vernier scale ,screw gauges etc.

Units of Mass
Metric system 10 milligram(mg)=1 centigram (cg) 10 centigram=1 decigram (dg) British system 27.34 grains=1 dram 16.34 dram=1 ounce (oz)

10 decigram= 1 gram (g)

10 gram= 1 decagram (dag) 10 decagram= 1 hectogram(hg) 10 hectogram= 1 kilogram (kg) 100 kilogram = 1 quintal 1000 kilogram= 1 metric ton

16 ounces = 1 pound (lb)

2000 pounds= 1 ton

 Uses : amount of the drugs may be measured in milligrams, grams Weight of the person can be measured in kilograms /pounds

 Difference between mass and weight

Mass It is the measure of inertia It cannot be zero Increase with increase in the speed of the body Weight It is the measure of gravity Can be zero at the Centre of earth Unaffected by the speed of the body

Unit is kilogram in SI units and grams in CGS

Unit is newton in SI units and dyne in CGS

 Measurements: A physical balance mass (analytical/ electronic balance) Spring balance - weight

Unit of time
Unit of the time is second. Tropical year: it is time interval between two successive passage of the earth through vernal equinox(approx. on 21st march of every year). Solar day: it is the time interval between two successive passage of the sun through the meridian. One tropical year: 365 days mean solar days 1 mean solar day:24 hours 1 hour= 60 minutes 1 minute = 60 seconds So one second is 1/86400th part of the solar day.

 Measurements of time: 1. Patients pulse rate 2. ESR

 Gravity Newton has concluded that gravitation force exists between all bodies. Two heavy stones are not only attracted towards the earth but also attract each other. Centre of Gravity (Torque due to gravity) Due to effect of external forces on a rigid body It causes rotational motion about the axis. A quantity that is the measure of the Rotational motion produced by the force is called Torque. Torque appears if the whole mass of the body is concentrated at the centre of mass.

Gravitation

 The torque due to gravity on a body about its centre of mass is zero because centre of mass is often called the centre of gravity of the body.

Principle of Gravity or Universal law of Gravitation

This law states that Every particle in this universe attracts every other particle with force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres.

m1

m2

 Consider two spheres of masses m1 and m2 and r be distance between their centres, then the gravitational Force of attraction between them is: F m1m2 or F = G m1m2
r2 r2

G = gravitational constant If m1=m2=1 or r=1, then, we get G=F G is defined as the gravitational force between two unit masses separated by unit distance. Value of G in SI units is 6.67 10-11 Nm2 kg-2

Applications:
In standing person, his/her Centre of Gravity is located in the pelvic cavity. A Line drawn perpendicularly downwards from the centre of gravity of a person passes through the area bounded by his/her feet. While carrying a heavy object, balance is obtained easily if the feet are placed farther apart. In Nursing practice, sometimes you need to carry heavy objects in your hands. This will add weight to the front of your body and the C.G. shifts forward, for keeping the C.G. in the normal position and maintaining equilibrium, muscles of your back will exert a backward pull, causing a strain in your back.

 To minimize this strain, you should keep the object in your hand as close to the body as possible.

 Effect of Gravitational Force on Human Body: Force of gravity helps us to walk, throw, catch, and perform other daily activities. You can not give intravenous infusion or blood transfusion in absence of gravity. Blood circulation in the body mainly depends on gravity. Change in body position alters the pressure of blood in different parts of the body. If person faints, his head should be lowered, which helps the blood to return to the head by gravity.

 A person may develop edema of the legs due to standing for long hours;it reduces venous return to the heart.this is why postural drainage is prescribed for this and for bronchiectasis patients.

Gravity exercises are sometimes prescribed for patients with circulatory disorders of the lower extremeties.

 Brain surgery is frequently done with the patient in a sitting or semi-sitting position to reduce the danger of haemorrhage. After a rib resection,semi-sitting position of the patient increases drainage from the thorax through the drainage tube by gravity. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test is based on gravity.

Pressure
Def: It is the force exerted normally on a unit surface area. If the force F act normally on the unit surface area A, then pressure P is given by : P=F/A

 SI unit of pressure is Nm-2 or Pascal (Pa) and the CGS unit of the pressure is dynecm-2 . 1 Nm-2 =10 5 dyne cm-2 Thrust : It is the total force acting on the given surface. SI unit of the thrust is newton. Pressure exerted by the fluid is called as a fluid pressure.

Fluid pressure
Hydrostatic pressure: In a medical practice most common method of indicating pressure is by the height of column of mercury. calculated by: P= hdg Where h is height of liquid column ,d is density , g is acceleration due to gravity.

 Pascal law: It states that pressure exerted at any point on a enclosed liquid is transmitted equally in all directions. Application of Pascals law in nursing field: 1. The weight of the patient exerts pressure on water mattress which is equally distributed in fluid contained in it. And also fluid exert opposite pressure against the patients body .

2. The foetus inside the amniotic fluid is protected from the shock from outside till birth under the same principle.

Atmospheric pressure
The earth is surrounded by a layer of air mixture (N2,O2, Co2 water vapour and gases etc.) is known as atmosphere.
The pressure exerted by atmosphere is called atmospheric pressure. Which at the surface of the earth is about 1.013 x 105 Nm-2 (Pa).

 Torricelli explained that the atmospheric pressure acts on the free surface of mercury in the column. The atmospheric pressure is given by P=hdg Where h is height of the mercury column, d is density of mercury and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

 Normal atmospheric pressure is written as 760 mm of Hg. Pressure below it is known as sub atmospheric pressure . Sub-atmospheric pressure is obtained by creating partial vacuum. Fluid at atmospheric pressure follows the sub atmospheric pressure.

Applications : Siphon Suction

Nursing applications of atmospheric pressure Suction is operated from the area of surgery. Different types of aspirators used in hospital works on the principle of suction. Water seal drainage is use in thoracic surgery. Post op drainage is used in GIT surgery

Osmotic pressure Presence of a proper concentration of solute inside the body cells provides them the ability to absorb the water from their surrounding by the process known as osmosis.

 Osmosis is the special type of diffusion across the cell membrane in which water is move according to the diffusion gradient while the solute is not allowed to move. Thus the cell membrane is differentially permeable.

Effect of Membrane Permeability on Diffusion and Osmosis

Figure 3.8b

Osmosis
The diffusion of water from an area of high concentration of water molecules (high water potential) to an area of low concentration of water (low water potential) across a partially permeable membrane.

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Osmosis
DILUTE SOLUTION

CONCENTRATED SOLUTION
Cell membrane partially permeable.

Sugar molecule

VERY Low conc. of water molecules. Law water potential.

VERY High conc. of water molecules. High water potential.

Inside cell

Outside cell

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Osmosis
Cell membrane partially permeable.

OSMOSIS

Low conc. Of water molecules. Law water potential.

High conc. of water molecules. High water potential.

Inside cell

Outside cell

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Osmosis
Cell membrane partially permeable.

OSMOSIS

Inside cell

Outside cell

EQUILIBRIUM. Equal water concentration on each side. Equal water potential has been reached. There is no net movement of water

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Osmolarity
One osmole = 1 mole of dissolved particles
1 mole = gram molecular weight of the substance
1 mole of Glucose =180; 1 mole of NaCl = 58.5

Osmolarity = # osmoles/liter of solution

Osmolarity = molarity (mol/L) x # of particles in solutions
A 1 M Glucose solution = 1 Osmolar But a 1 M Glucose soln = 2 Osmolar because NaCl dissociates into 2 particles (Na and Cl) whereas Glucose does not A 1 M MgCl2 solution = what osmolarity???? __________

Physiological solutions are expressed in milliosmoles per liter (mOsm/L)

blood plasma = 300 mOsm/L osmolality similar to osmolarity at concentration of body fluids

Tonicity
Tonicity - ability of a solution to affect fluid volume and pressure within a cell
depends on concentration and permeability of solute

Isotonic solution
solution with the same solute concentration as that of the cytosol; normal saline

Hypotonic solution
lower concentration of nonpermeating solutes than that of the cytosol (high water concentration) cells absorb water, swell and may burst (lyse)

Hypertonic solution
has higher concentration of nonpermeating solutes than that of the cytosol (low water concentration) cells lose water + shrivel (crenate)

Osmosis and Cells

Important because large volume changes caused by water movement disrupt normal cell function Cell shrinkage or swelling Isotonic: cell neither shrinks nor swells Hypertonic: cell shrinks (crenation) Hypotonic: cell swells (lysis)

Effects of Tonicity on RBCs

Hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic solutions affect the fluid volume of a red blood cell. Notice the crenated and swollen cells.

 Osmotic pressure depends upon the solute concentration. Osmotic movement is related to the osmolarity .

 Hypertonic solution causes crenation of the cells Hypotonic solution causes swelling of the cells and then bursting of cells. Animal cells solve the osmolarity problem by actively pumping out of the inorganic ions. Na+ -K+ pump

Nursing application: Enemas Treatments of edema Hemodialysis /artificial kidney Peritoneal dialysis

Typical fluid pressure in normal human body

Pressure Arterial blood pressure systolic diastolic Venous blood pressure Capillary blood pressure arterial end venous end Eye pressure Cerebrospinal fluid pressure in brain Gastro-intenstinal pressure Intra thoracic pressure Urinary bladder Middle ear pressure 30 10 20 5-12 10-20 10 <2 <1 100-140 60-90 3-7 Value mm of Hg

Blood pressure
It is the lateral pressure exerted by the flowing blood on the walls of the vessels. The term blood pressure denotes to arterial pressure, the pressure exerted by blood column in other vessels are called as venous pressure and capillary pressure.

Systolic blood pressure

Maximum arterial pressure during systole is called systolic blood pressure. It is a function of cardiac output, it represents the extent of work done by the heart. Normal systolic B.P. in young adult is in a range of 105-135 mmHg. It undergoes considerable fluctuations, increased during excitement, exercise and meals and decreased during sleep.

Diastolic blood pressure

It refers to minimum arterial pressure during diastole and occurs just before the onset of ventricular ejection. Normal range in a young adult is 60-90 mmHg. It is the function of total peripheral resistance (TPR) and indicates the constant load against which heart has to work.

Pulse pressure
It is the arithmetic difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Normally average pulse pressure is 40 mmHg. It determines the pulse volume. It depend upon 3 factors: arterial volume, stroke volume and arterial elastic constant. The high pulse pressure is indicative of systolic hypertension and indirectly determines decrease in elasticity of the blood vessels.

Mean arterial pressure

It is the average of all pressure measured millisecond by millisecond throughout the cardiac cycle. Normal value 90-100 mmHg. Since duration of cardiac systole is shorter than diastole it is not equal to systolic B.P. plus Diastolic B.P. divided by 2. Practically, MAP is roughly equal to diastolic pressure plus one third of pulse pressure. MAP=TPR/C.O. All cardiovascular reflexes are sensitive to MAP.

ICP
Under normal condition it ranges between 0-10 mmHg When a mass expands within the skull compensatory mechanisms initially maintain a normal ICP. The goal is to maintain a normal CPP