This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Physics

Code: 100908 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Biochemistry FB 1

Contact

Name:
Vicente Ortega Cejas
Email:
vicente.ortega@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

For the proper understanding and successful completion of the Physics course in the Biochemistry Degree, it is a desirable requirement that students have achieved the competencies typical of High School Physics.

The course is designed assuming that these prior knowledge are possessed, as they are fundamental for understanding the concepts and solving problems that will be addressed throughout the course.

In case you have not taken Physics in High School or if you believe your knowledge is not sufficiently solid, we strongly urge you to update your Physics foundation before the start of classes. This can be achieved through self-study of High School syllabi, consulting textbooks, or by taking a preparatory (leveling) course in Physics.

Ensuring you master these fundamentals will allow you to keep up with the pace of the course successfully and avoid unnecessary difficulties during the semester.


Objectives and Contextualisation

Because of its fundamental nature, knowledge in physics is very often a necessary tool for the correct understanding of the phenomena described in other sciences. In the specific case of Biotechemistry, for example, to correctly understand the dynamics of chemical reactions within cells, it is completely indispensable to know the physics of diffusion, the field and electrical current or thermodynamics. Without this knowledge a misunderstanding of the biochemistry of the cell is possible.

On the other hand, Physics is required to understand some of the experimental methods that biochemists use daily. In our case, for example, radioactive or fluoescent marking of molecules, centrifugation or magnetic resonance are examples of methods that are clearly based on fundamental physical principles.

The objective of this subject will be the introductory study of all the necessary physical concepts for both, modeling and experimental design in Biochemistry.

Some of the topics will be the starting point of other courses such as Thermodynamics, Bioenergetics and other topics will be fundamental for the practices included in Integrated Laboratories.


Learning Outcomes

  1. CM02 (Competence) Understand the specialist terminology used in the field of physics.
  2. KM05 (Knowledge) Describe the atomic and nuclear structure of matter.
  3. KM06 (Knowledge) Define the basic principles of mechanics, electromagnetism and thermodynamics that are applied in biological systems.
  4. KM07 (Knowledge) Describe the biological damage caused by radiation.
  5. SM03 (Skill) Apply physical principles to the study of muscle fibres, body fluids, and nerve impulses.
  6. SM04 (Skill) Understand the biological damage caused by radiation.

Content

 

1 Basic ideas of kinematics and dynamics.

Position, speed and acceleration.
Intrinsic components of acceleration: types of movements.
Newton's laws: relationship between force and acceleration.

2 Transport of molecules in fluids.
Hydrostatics.
Hydrodynamics.
Viscosity: sedimentation.
Centrifugation; separation of macromolecules.
Diffusion, Fick's law and Brownian motion.

3 Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics.
Kinetic theory.
Calorimetry.
Entropy and Free Energy in Chemical Reactions.

4 Electricity.
Coulomb's law: force between charges, atoms and molecules. Electrostatic contribution to ATP energy.
Dipoles: polar molecules and hydrogen bonds.
Electrophoresis.
Membrane potential.
Ionic pumps: ATP-ase and oxidative phosphorylation.

5 Magnetism.
Magnetic forces: charge in a magnetic field and mass spectrometry.
Magnetic dipole.
Nuclear magnetic resonance: applications to chemistry, molecular structure and medical imaging.

6 Elasticity and Oscillations.
Elasticity. Experiments with macromolecules: DNA and protein stretching.
Harmonic, damped and forced oscillations: optical spectroscopy, energy absorption and resonance.
H2O oscillations and microwave heating. CO2 oscillations and greenhouse effect.

7 Physical optics
Wave nature of light: electromagnetic waves.
Interference and diffraction.
Light diffraction in crystals and molecules: molecular structure.
Synchrotron radiation.

8 Some ideas of quantum physics
Einstein-Planck and de Broglie equations.
Quantification of energy levels: particle in a box.
Bohr atom: absorption and emission spectra. Fluorescence.
Some ideas of nuclear physics: Radioactivity.

 

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Problem solving classes 12 0.48 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04, CM02
Theory classes 29 1.16 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04, CM02
Type: Supervised      
Practices 5 0.2 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04, CM02
Type: Autonomous      
Homework 35 1.4 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04, CM02
Reading of educational material 10 0.4 CM02, CM02
Resolution of computer assisted questionaries 20 0.8 KM05, KM06, KM05
Watching educational videos 5 0.2 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04, CM02

The subject will be given alternating different types of methodologies:

- Master classes where the general concepts of the different topics will be introduced

- Solving problems where the teachers will solve the exercises previously selected in previous days

- Resolution of autocorrection questionnaires through a computer using the Moodle platform

 

 

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Computer assisted practices 20% 30 1.2 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04
Exams 80% 4 0.16 CM02, KM05, KM06, KM07, SM03, SM04

Ordinary Assessment

The ordinary assessment of the course will be based on the following components:

  • Partial Exams (80% of the final grade):We'll have two partial exams throughout the semester. These exams will assess your understanding of the content covered to date. It's important to note that the specific weight of each partial exam may vary slightly depending on the scope and complexity of the topics evaluated in each. You'll be informed in advance about the exact weight of each partial exam once their contents are defined.
    • Condition for averaging: For partial exam grades to be averaged, it's essential to obtain a minimum grade of 3.5 in each of them.
  • Virtual Campus Quizzes (20% of the final grade): Throughout the semester, you'll be assigned a series of quizzes to complete via the Virtual Campus. These quizzes are designed to reinforce your learning of key concepts and allow you to practice regularly. Under no circumstances will quizzes not submitted or submitted past the deadline be evaluated.

Resit Assessment

The resit assessment is designed to give you an opportunity to make up for the results of partial exams you didn't pass in the ordinary assessment.

  • Who must take it? Students who haven't passed the course in the ordinary assessment, meaning their final grade is below 5, must take the resit assessment.
  • What is recovered? In this assessment, you'll only need to resit the partial exams you failed (with a grade below 5). This means you won't need to retake the Virtual Campus quizzes, as their 20% weight will carry over from the ordinary assessment.
  • Assessment format: The resit assessment will consist of a specific exam or exams for the partials you need to resit. The grade obtained in this resit assessment will replace the original grade of the failed partial for the calculation of the final grade.
  • Calculation of the final grade (resit): Once the failed partials are resat, the average will be recalculated using the grades obtained in the resit (or the original grades of the passed partials) and the 20% from the Virtual Campus quizzes. To be able to average these grades, the condition that a minimum of 3.5 must be obtained in the partials (whether original or resit) still applies.

Option to Improve Grade in the Resit Assessment

If you wish to try to improve your grade, you must take the resit assessment under the following conditions:

  • Completion of Both Partials: You'll be obliged to complete both partial exams for the course, regardless of the grade you obtained in them during the ordinary assessment. This means that the resit assessment for grade improvement will cover the content of both partials.
  • Waiver of the Ordinary Grade: It's crucial that you understand that by opting for this grade improvement option, you automatically waive the grade obtained in the ordinary assessment. The new final course grade will be calculated entirely with the grades obtained in the two partials of the resit assessment (provided you meet the minimum grade condition of 3.5 in each to be averaged) and the 20% from the Virtual Campus quizzes.

Not Evaluated Criterion

Students will receive a "Not Evaluated" grade when the assessment activities performed have a weighting of less than 67% in the final grade.


Single Assessment

The single assessment consists of a unique synthesis test that includes the contents of the entire theory and problem program. The grade obtained in this synthesis test is 100% of the final course grade.

The single assessment test will take place on the same date set in the calendar for the last continuous assessment test (second partial) and the same ordinary assessment resit system will apply.


Bibliography

Basic bibliography

  • Jou, Mirabent, David, et al. Física para ciencias de la vida (2a. ed.), McGraw-Hill España, 2009. 

    ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uab/detail.action?docID=3194961.
 
 
Further reading.
  • Sternheim, M. M. y Kane. Física (2a. ed.). Editorial Reverté, 2016.
    eLibro, https://elibro.net/es/lc/uab/titulos/100529.
  • A., Tipler, Paul, Mosca, Gene, FÍSICA PER A LA CIÈNCIA I LA TECNOLOGIA VOLUM 1 (CATALÁN). 1. Madrid, España, Reverté, 2016. INGEBOOK. 2021-06-30 10:20:04.0
  • A., Tipler, Paul, Mosca, Gene, FÍSICA PER A LA CIÈNCIA I LA TECNOLOGIA VOLUM 2 (CATALÁN). 1. Madrid, España, Reverté, 2016. INGEBOOK. 2021-06-30 10:24:01.0

Software

  • Virtual Campus.
  • pdf reader.

Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 311 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 312 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 31 Catalan second semester afternoon