by Robert F Steiner (University of Maryland, USA) & Louise Garone (University of Maryland, USA)

The book is concerned with the application of physical techniques to the study of the structure and interactions of biopolymers. The treatment is confined to those procedures applicable to solutions. The material has been tested on students in actual classes, thereby permitting the elimination of ambiguities and potential points of difficulty. Stress has been placed upon lucidity of treatment, and difficult steps in derivations have been explained. The mathematical exposition has been made as clear and simple as feasible. Examples of actual data are given.

• Basic Thermodynamics:
  • Thermodynamics of Solutions
  • Membrane Equilibria
  • Significance of the Second Virial Coefficient
  • Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
  • The Helix → Coil Transition of a Polypeptide
• The Interaction of Biopolymers with Small Molecules:
  • Non-Cooperative Binding
  • Theoretical Models for Allosterism
• The Transport Methods:
  • Diffusion
  • Ultracentrifugation
  • Optical Systems
  • Zonal Centrifugation
  • Electrophoresis
  • Viscosity
  • Gel Filtration
• The Scattering of Radiation by Biopolymers in Solution:
  • Technique of Light Scattering
  • Low Angle X-Ray Scattering
  • Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering
  • Raman Scattering
• Methods Involving the Absorption or Emission of Radiation:
  • Polarization of Fluorescent Radiation
  • The Use of Fluorescence to Measure Intramolecular Distances
• The Interaction of Biopolymers with Polarized Radiation:
  • Optical Activity and the Structure of Biopolymers
  • and other papers