Biophysics programs teach people about mechanisms that influence biological processes. Students learn to use physics to gain a greater understanding of these processes. They learn about proteins and molecular structures. They also learn about energy conversion and how information is transmitted between cells.
Have you ever wondered how we are able to see and hear? Are you curious how the brain processes and stores information? Do you want to understand how plants absorb light in photosynthesis? These are just a few of the questions the study of biophysics attempts to answer. Biophysics uses principles of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology to study how living things work. It is the study of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy.
The program of biophysics studies living things at all levels - organisms, cells, and molecules. You learn about bioelectric phenomena such as the transmission of electrical impulses along nerves and muscles. A simple muscle contraction, for example, involves an electrical signal between nerve and muscle cells to trigger the contraction.
You also learn about the manner in which characteristics of plants and animals are carried forward through successive generations. In addition, you study about the effects of radiation and damage to cells and tissues caused by X-rays and nuclear particles.
Some students concentrate on molecular biophysics. You concentrate your studies on the physical and chemical properties of DNA, RNA, protein, and membranes. You learn how cells transmit genetic information within an organism, and from generation to generation.
Although the science of biophysics goes back to the Greeks and Romans, the equipment used today is extremely sophisticated. With tools such as nuclear MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), you can make many contributions to the fields of medicine, agriculture, the environment, and human behavior.
About 50 colleges in the U.S. offer a bachelor's degree program in biophysics. These take four years of full-time study beyond high school. A bachelor's degree prepares you for graduate studies or for an entry-level position as a research assistant or lab technician in some settings. It is also good preparation for medical, dental, and veterinary school.
A few colleges offer a combined bachelor's and master's program. You can complete a B.S./M.S. program in four years beyond high school, but you usually come into the program with advanced standing from AP credits. In some cases, you may need to attend summer sessions to complete the program in four years.
Most positions, particularly in research, require a Ph.D.; some require a master's degree. A graduate degree allows you to specialize more. It takes about six years beyond high school to complete a master's degree program. A Ph.D. in biophysics may take an additional three to four years. About 35 universities offer a master's degree, and about 70 offer a Ph.D. degree. To be accepted into a graduate program, your undergraduate training can be in biophysics, physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, or computer science.
Graduate students usually focus on a specific technique, application, process, or molecular structure in biophysics. Some specializations include bioenergetics, biological fluorescence, membrane biophysics, membrane structure and assembly, or motility.