Physical biology of the cell / Rob Phillips, Jane Kondev, Julie Theriot ; illustrated by Nigel Orme ; with problems, solutions, and editorial assistance of Hernan G. Garcia.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why: biology by the numbers -- What and where: construction plans for cells and organisms -- When: stopwatches at many scales -- Who: "bless the little beasties" -- Mechanical and chemical equilibrium in the living cell -- Entropy rules! -- Two-state systems: from ion channels to cooperative binding -- Random walks and the structure of macromolecules -- Electrostatics for salty solutions -- Beam theory: architecture for cells and skeletons -- Biological membranes: life in two dimensions -- The mathematics of water -- A statistical view of biological dynamics -- Life in crowded and disordered environments -- Rate equations and dynamics in the cell -- Dynamics of molecular motors -- Biological electricity and the Hodgkin-Huxley model -- Sequences, specificity, and evolution -- Network organization in space and time -- Whither physical biology?

"Physical Biology of the Cell is a biophysics textbook that explores how the basic tools and insights of physics and mathematics can illuminate the study of molecular and cell biology. Drawing on key examples and seminal experiments from cell biology, the book teaches physical model building through a practical, case-study approach, demonstrating how quantitative models derived from basic physical principles can be used to build a more profound, intuitive understanding of cell biology."--Jacket.