Sarajevo Medical School

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION–GENERAL INFORMATION

Study Undegraduate Study year:

Course code
COURSE NAME ECTS Semester
SMS 122 Medicap Physics and Biophysics II 5 2

Course status obligatory

Prerequisite
Entrace Exam
Instructors Lamija Tanović, Lejla Čiva

Course components/ Lectures Seminars Lab work/practical

Weekly contact hours 2 0 2
Course quality control
Student survey
Course completion
End of the semester report
quality control

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION

2.1 Course objectives

This course is a continuation of the course Medical Physics and Biophysics I taught in the previous
semester. This is also an introductory course giving students insight into physical principles and laws that
are needed for the understanding of processes in the physiology of the human body, anatomy, pathology,
histology, etc. While the first course covered Mechanics and Hydromechanics, this one treats all other

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parts of Physics, Thermodynamics, Electricity, Optics, Atomic and Nuclear Physics.
The basic aim of this course is to demonstrate on concrete biological materials the way in which physical
processes, happening in the same way throughout the Cosmos, but under different conditions, transform
into qualitatively new physiological manifestations that characterize a living organism.
It is therefore the aim of this course to inform and equip students with basic knowledge about the
“physics of living organisms”.

2.2. Learning outcomes

After finishing this course, students will have acquired the ability to define basic empirical and theoretical
findings on how biological systems operate, derived out of the fundamental laws of physics.
Students will be able to understand the basic principles of modelling and experimental techniques used
in analyses of the human body. They will be able to understand the complexity of physical
manifestations occurring in “living matter”.

2.3. Teaching and learning methods

- Interactive lecturing based on learning materials given in advance.

- Seminars with tutorials on how to find solutions for various problems in the human body by
developing a quantitative deductive approach.
- Through laboratory work, students will acquire the ability and minimum skills in the usage of
measuring devices which are integrated within different medical devices

2.4 DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE

Week Course Topics and Teaching Units Forms of hours

teaching
WAVES
1. SHM and Waves, Types of Waves, Superposition and
Lecture 2
Interference, Reflection, Beats and Standing Waves, Waves
and Energy, Power and Intensity Exercise 2

2. SOUND AND HEARING Lecture 2

Sound Waves in Media, Pitch and Loudness, Resonance and
Exercise 2
Sound Generation, The Doppler Effect, The Ear and Hearing

3. TEMPERATURE AND HEAT Lecture 2

Temperature. Thermal Equilibrium, Measuring Temperature,
Exercise 2
Thermal Expansion of Materials. Heat. Latent Heat. Phase
Changes.

4. IDEAL GASES Lecture 2

The Gas Laws, Biological Applications, Kinetic Theory of
Exercise 2
Gases, Phase and Temperature Change, Water Vapour an the
Atmosphere

5. THERMODYNAMICS AND THE BODY Lecture 2

The first Law, Energy and the Body, Thermoregulation,
Exercise 2
Temperature and Health

6. OPTICS Lecture 2
The nature of Lights, Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion
Exercise 2

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 GEOMETRIC OPTICS
Ray Diagrams, Mirrors (plane and spherical), Magnification,
Lenses

7. THE EYE AND VISION Lecture 2

The Parts of the Eye, Emmetropia, Myopia, Hypermetropia,
Exercise 2
Astigmatism, Colour Vision

8. MIDTERM EXAM

9. WAVE OPTICS Lecture 2

Superposition and Interference, Huygens’ Principle, Diffraction,
Exercise 2
10. ATOMS AND ATOMIC PHYSICS Lecture 2
Atomic Models, The Bohr Model of the Atom. DE Broglie and
Exercise 2
Waves
11. MULTIELECTRON ATOMS Lecture 2
Energy Levels. Quantum Mechanics Atomic Model. Quantum
Exercise 2
Numbers.
Electronic configuration of the elements and Periodic System.

12. THE NUCLEUS AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS Lecture 2

Nuclei and Isotopes, Nuclear Forces , Nuclear Decay and
Exercise 2
Stability

13. PRODUCTION OF IONISING RADIATION Lecture 2

Nuclear Decay Processes, Activity and Half-Life, X-Ray
Exercise 2
production. Ionizing radiation.

14. BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF IONISING RADIATION Lecture 2

Mechanisms of Cell Damage, Dose and Dose Equivalent,
Exercise 2
Medical Effects and Risk

15. ELECTRICITY Lecture 2

Charge, Conductors and Insulators, , Electric Force and Electric
Exercise 2
Field, Coulomb’s Law, Electric Potential, Capacitance and
Capacitors, The Heart and ECG

2.5. Required literature

Kirsten Franklin, Paul Muir, Terry Scott, Lara Wilcocks, Paul Jates, Introduction to Biological Physics
for the Health and Life Sciences, Wiley, 2010.

2.6. Additional literature

John D. Cutnell, Kennet W. Johnson, Introduction to Physics, 9th edition, International Student Version,
Wiley, 2012.

2.8. Student obligations

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 Attendance
Type of lectures
Reqired attendance (%)
Lectures 80 %
Lab exercises 80%
Attendance conformation Attendance sheet signed by
students
Prerequist for the completition of the course :
80% attendance at lectures and exercises, paticipation at two tests

2.9 Grading

Maximum
Assingement Passing grade (%) Weight(%) of final
number of points
grade
Midterm exam 100 55% 40%

2 Tests 100 each 20%

Final exam 100 55% 40%

Total 100%

2.10 Course grade

% Course grade

95 – 100 10 A

85-94 9 B

75-84 8 C

65 – 74 7 D

55-64 6 E

Below 55 5 F