The name of this type of physics

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The discussion revolves around identifying the type of physics related to studying micro-cells for disease prevention. Participants clarify that this field is more aligned with biology than traditional physics, as it encompasses various biological disciplines, including microbiology and biochemistry. The conversation highlights the interdisciplinary nature of modern science, where biology, chemistry, and physics often overlap. Participants emphasize that while doctors specialize in biology, the broader field includes numerous branches that study living organisms at different scales and through various methods. The complexity of defining specific scientific disciplines is acknowledged, noting that traditional boundaries are becoming less relevant in contemporary research.
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The name of this "type" of physics

Hello all,

I was just wondering if anyone knew what type of physics this was.
Heres a brief description:

Studying patterns of micro-cells to find a prevention for diseases.

Iam not sure what its called, so i need your help lol,

Thank you
 
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Biologist.
 


Cyrus said:
Biologist.

Isnt that like more based upon like doctors, rather then physicists?
 


jonniechung said:
Isnt that like more based upon like doctors, rather then physicists?

No, biology is a very large and broad field. Doctors are specialized biologists, if you think about it. Most doctors have undergraduate degrees in biology though.

Biology can include: evolution, disease, agriculture, medicine. Pretty much any and all things related to living organisms.

Moonbear or Monique could give you a much better explanation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology

Traditionally, the specialized disciplines of biology are grouped by the type of organism being studied: botany, the study of plants; zoology, the study of animals; and microbiology, the study of microorganisms. These fields are further divided based on the scale at which organisms are studied and the methods used to study them: biochemistry examines the fundamental chemistry of life, molecular biology studies the complex interactions of systems of biological molecules, cellular biology examines the basic building block of all life, the cell; physiology examines the physical and chemical functions of the tissues and organ systems of an organism; and ecology examines how various organisms interrelate with their environment.
 


That could be Microbiology (one branch of Biology) also ...

http://www.divcf.unimo.it/img/diagramme.jpg

I wanted to find a picture with different branches of science.. but cudn't get better than the above one.

(Not everything is physics)
 
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Medicine?
 


A web reference would certainly help. A Google search for the exact text "Studying patterns of micro-cells to find a prevention for diseases" yields exactly one hit: This thread. That description is too short and too vague to make much sense out of.
 


The traditional boundaries between scientific disciplines are becoming an anachronism nowadays. Most scientific disciplines, especially those involving biology, are highly interdisciplinary. For example, I like to say that I'm a biochemist (my B.S. degree) doing biophysics (my PhD program) in a physical chemistry lab. Slightly more confusing is the fact that my boss has a PhD in physics, is a professor in the chemistry department, and does research focused mostly on biology.

Now it depends on what you mean by "micro cells" (aren't most cells on the micrometer scale?) and how you are studying them. Certainly many physicists study cells and pattern formation in biology. These studies can fall under the categories ranging to applied physics to systems biology to developmental biology.
 


rootX said:
That could be Microbiology (one branch of Biology) also ...

http://www.divcf.unimo.it/img/diagramme.jpg

I wanted to find a picture with different branches of science.. but cudn't get better than the above one.

(Not everything is physics)

This diagram is missing "Physical Biochemistry." My wife has her master's degree in that. She studied carotenoids in the photosynthesis process. At least that's what her profesor was studying. She'll be the first to admit she didn't know what the heck she was doing.
 
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  • #10


jonniechung said:
Studying patterns of micro-cells to find a prevention for diseases.
Please explain micro-cell.

Eukaryote cells, those with nuclei, are ~ 10-100 µm.

Prokaryote cells (e.g. bacteria) are ~ 1-10 µm.

Mitochondria, found in some cells, are about 0.5 to 1 µm.


The study of cellular mechanism would seem to involve biology, chemistry and physics, but microbiology and biochemistry are two possibilities. The titles are however arbitrary and may not reflect the interdisciplinary nature of one's work.
 

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