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The use of mathematics in biology
In biology the use of mathematics is:
Counting of bacteria
and
calculation of energy of food.
In biology, there are several ways using
Mathematics to make we get experiment
result more easier, one of the example is
the number of bacteria.
As we know that bacteria can divide in
every period of 20 minutes under favorite
condition.
So we can get the number of bacteria by a formula:
N= 2t/20
Where N = The number of bacteria ,and t = the period of the experiment
in terms of minutes.
So mathematics can enable us to get the number of bacteria without
counting them under microscope.
Also in biology we want to measure
the energy given out by food. It is
difficult to measure the energy of food
directly. So we have to measure it
indirectly.
We can measure the energy by
burning it in calorimeter, since the
(heat) energy given out in the burning
process is nearly is the same when it
is digested and absorb inside body, so
the energy can be easily measure.
The set up of the calorimeter have
known amount of water.
Then the food is light up inside a
chamber which have plenty supply of
oxygen.
As the burning process is
complete, we can measure the
temperature change of the
water. Then by mathematics
formula we can calculate the
energy value of food indirectly.
Example:
A calorimeter contains 1kg of water, assume there is no heat loss,a piece
of 500g food rise the temperature of water 3oC, how many energy does
the food contain each gram?
The total energy gain by water,apply E= mcDT,
i.e. E= (1)(4200)(3)
E=12600J
By conservation of energy,
Heat given out by food = heat gain by water
Let e = energy contain by the food each gram
12600 = 500e
e=25.2 J/g
A calorimeter
From above example, energy can be obtain by mathematics calculation easily.
Although manual mathematics
is very slow, we can use other
tools to help us to complete
complex mathematics
calculation, one of the
example is computer.
Recently Intel have sponsor a
plan which use the personal
computers in the world to
assemble a 30 teraflops
(computer power unit about 6
million of personal computer)
supercomputer to calculate the
relationship between the
cancer cells and anti-cancer
medicine.
(Above)A personal computer joined
the plan of 30 teraflops peer to peer
computing program researching
cancer cells and anti-cancer
medicine.