Atomic Physics: Relation Analysis
Atomic Physics: Relation Analysis
Atomic Physics: Relation Analysis
Page 1
1. Atomic physics
Relation analysis
Spin is an inherent property of the electron similar to mass and charge, because magnetic
moment is not coupled to the spin of the electron.
X rays and γ rays have overlapping frequencies, because both of them are generated by
electronic transitions.
The spectrum of braking radiation is continuous, because all electrons lose their kinetic
energy in one step.
True or false
- The frequency of characteristic X ray is characteristic of the material of the heated cathode
from which the electrons to be accelerated are released.
Essays
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 2
Relation analysis
The biological and physical half-lives of a nucleus are linearly proportional to each other,
because an undecayed nucleus cannot leave the human body as a result of metabolism.
The energy distribution of ß− radiation is discrete because a neutron is emitted along with the
ß− particle during the decay.
Multiple choice
Radioactive decay
A) The mass number decreases by 2 during α decay
B) The mass number does not change during β decay
C) The atomic number increases by 1 during β+ decay
D) The mass number increases by 1 during K electron capture
E) The atomic number increases by 1 during β– decay
Simple test
No and N1 denote the number of electrons in the ground state and the first excited state,
respectively. What can the N1/No ratio be in the case of population inversion?
A. 1
B. 0
C. 0.5
D. 10
E. 0.1
Relation analysis
The spin of an electron results from the presence of an external magnetic field, because the
mass of an electron is much higher than that of a proton.
Multiple choice
Imaging techniques…
A) The resolution power of positron emission tomography (PET) is inversely proportional
to the wavelength of the illuminating light.
B) Only positive β decaying isotopes can be used in SPECT.
C) PET is a functional imaging method.
D) SPECT gives the same type of information as a γ camera, but with 3D (three
dimensional) resolution.
E) Radioactive isotopes are not used in SPECT.
Essays
3.1. Lasers
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 4
3.2. Sedimentation
a. What kind of sedimentation method can be used for the determination of the
density of a particle? Describe briefly how.
b. In a sedimentation equilibrium experiment why are all the particles not
concentrated at the bottom of the tube?
3.4 Fluorescence
a. Draw a Jablonski diagram. Label the energy levels and indicate the most important
transitions in the figure.
b. Draw the emission and absorption spectra of a molecule in the SAME coordinate
system. Label the axes of the graph. Explain why the two spectra are shifted
relative to each other.
c. What is FRET efficiency? What can FRET be used for in biology?
3.6. Describe the principles of positron emission tomography (nuclear event, detection)!
Compare the principle of image generation and information content of a PET with that of
a CT examination.
3.8. Describe how image generation is achieved in SPECT. Explain what the term
‘radiopharmacon’ means.
3.9. Describe how the DNA content of cells can be determined using flow cytometry (labeling
of cells, measurement, histogram).
3.10. What is the principle of operation of a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM)?
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 5
4. Radiation biophysics
Relation analysis
In the case of single-target single-hit dose response curve the irradiation dose of D37 damage
all target molecules, because at this dose the expected number of ionizations in the
radiosensitive volume of the target molecules is 1.
Essays
4.1.
a. Explain briefly the main difference between direct and indirect actions of radiation.
b. An enzyme is available in two forms: dry and in an aqueous solution. Which will be
damaged more after exposure to the same amount of radiation under the same
irradiation conditions? Why?
c. Why is a well-oxygenated tissue usually more radiation sensitive than a hypoxic one?
4.2
a. Plot the fraction of surviving objects as a function of dose, if the object contains one
target, and one hit is sufficient to inactivate the target. Mark D37 in the graph.
b. Explain why the expression describing the surviving fraction of cells contains two
terms (one linear and one quadratic function of D) according to the molecular model
of radiation sensitivity.
5. Thermodynamics
first and second law of thermodynamics, Hess theorem, enthalpy, Helmholtz free energy,
Gibbs free energy, state variable, state function, relationship between the heat capacity at
constant pressure and at constant volume
Relation analysis
Essays
6.1.
a. Explain how diffusion can be interpreted from a statistical point of view.
b. Explain how diffusion can be interpreted using chemical potentials.
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 6
7. Biological membranes
Relation analysis
The cytoplasmic and extracellular leaflets of the cell membrane are hydrophobic and
hydrophilic, respectively, because transmembrane proteins have hydrophobic and hydrophilic
regions.
If the membrane potential is equal to the Nernst (equilibrium) potential of a given ion, the net
flux of the diffusible ion in question through a semipermeable membrane is zero because in
this case the electrochemical potential for the ion in question is the same on both sides of the
membrane.
Essays
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 7
7.4. ECG
What is the integral vector and how is it related to the bipolar leads in ECG?
Relation analysis
Every kind of rod (red-, green-, blue-sensitive) contain the same type of prosthetic group, 11-
cis retinal, because the red-, green- and blue-sensitive rods contain different types of opsin.
Essays
8.3. Hearing
a. What is the difference between longitudinal and transversal waves?
b. Is sound a longitudinal or transversal wave?
c. List the organs taking part in the perception of sound (start from the outer ear, end
with the activation of the acoustic nerve).
d. What is the molecular background of the sound-induced membrane potential
changes of the receptor cells in the organ of Corti?
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.
Publicly available exercises in biophysics released by the Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology
Page 8
9. Ultrasound
9.1
a. Describe how ultrasound can be produced using the inverse piezoelectric effect.
b. Describe what the basis of A-mode, B-mode and M-mode ultrasound detection is
(what is detected, how is it displayed).
c. Describe how the direction and speed of blood flow can be measured using
Doppler ultrasound.
10. Biocybernetics
10.1.
a. Calculate the redundancy of the coding system for amino acids (base triplets).
b. Describe negative and positive feed-back, and write a medical or biological
example for them.
This collection of exercises is not a question list for the exams, i.e. other questions from other topics will be in
the SCTs and the final exam, although some of these questions may also be included. The aim is to pinpoint the
most important parts of the material, and to give you an idea about the nature of the questions. To be used
together with the minimum requirement question list.