Q: Bio & E=mc2

[Bill Purves]

>Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 02:47:40 +0000 (GMT)
>From: hesperaloe at aol.com (HesperAloe)
>Subject: Q: Bio & E=mc2
>Sender: owner-plant-ed at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk
>To: plant-ed at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk

>I was talking about Conservation of Matter in a plant bio. course for
>non-majors and made the point that equations always need to be balanced.  One
>bright student pointed out that E=mc2 suggests matter can sometimes be
>converted to energy.
>
>My question: Are there any biology applications to this equation?  Or is this
>equation irrelevant to biologists?

I believe it is safe to say that there are no applications of that
famous equation to biology--unless one wants to consider the
origin of sunlight a biological question, which I don't, important
as that light is, biologically ;-)

Lots of years ago, by the way, I wondered whether biophysicists
might ever need to consider relativistic corrections for high
velocities.  However, even in the fastest ultracentrifuge, 
correction for the velocity would be negligible.

(bill)



William K. Purves      Vice President/Editorial Director
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