Have you ever given a thought to how living organisms find the ways of resolving their challenges? Have you ever attempted to understand nature's workings in creating optimal and efficient flora and fauna? In this course, we will delve into these questions. This will be done not from a philosophical, mystical, or spiritual point of view. As we look at life as one of the many phenomena displayed by the universe in its evolution, we will apply the laws of physics to understand these phenomena. In doing so, we will take a "reductionist" or simplified approach to investigate the big picture. This implies that we will not be concerned with the differences between a frog and a toad, but rather explore basic biophysical mechanisms that make these organisms interesting to scientists and useful for engineers. Based on physical laws, we will investigate the phenomena of obesity and the performance of athletes, and we will examine diseases ranging from the cataract of the eye to the formation of gallstones in gall bladder bile. In order to gain knowledge of these various phenomena, we will systematically investigate the properties of water, Brownian motion, dynamics and physiology of fluids, thermodynamics, biomechanics and bioenergetics, and the electrochemical potential.

• to provide further understanding of the fundamental physical principles while applying them to biological systems
  
  
• to provide basic skills on how to utilize physical principles to solve biological problems
  
  
• to develop skills of critical thinking about physical problems as they apply to biology
  
  
• to develop effective interdisciplinary communication skills
  
  
• to learn to critically evaluate topics in the emerging field of biophysics.

• to gain a sense of ownership of the course content and collaborative projects
  
  
• to engage both self- and peer assessment
  
  
• to collaborate with peers to accomplish course assignments
  
  
• to lead discussion and plan collaborative projects
  
  
• to gain confidence as students and professionals in the study and evaluation of research and advances in biophysics.

• Qualitative Analysis:
  developing skills on how to understand and express physical principles in terms of words, i.e. qualitatively;
  
  
• Quantitative Analysis:
  developing problem solving skills by analyzing physical phenonmena quantitatively, i.e. solving problems both in the classroom and at home.
  
  
• Communication:
  developing writing skills through problem solving activities and oral skills through oral presentations of solutions to homework and exam problems in order to develop their presentation skills.