FYS4700 – Biophysics and Medical Physics
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This?is an interdisciplinary course between physics, medicine, chemistry, biology, and physiology.?It gives an introduction to atomic, molecular and cellular principles and processes that are relevant and important for modern cancer radiation therapy, and radiation-based medical diagnostics and imaging. The?course provides an understanding of how the properties of biological systems are determined by basic physical principles at the atomic, molecular and cellular levels. This course is particularly recommended if you consider a Master's degree in Physics with the programme option Biological and Medical Physics.
Learning outcome
Upon the completion of the course:
- you have knowledge about the living cell at a molecular- and an organelle level.?
- you have knowledge of basic atom and binding theory, you can describe the electron configuration of simple molecules, and you can see these configurations in connection to larger molecules such as proteins and amino acids.
- you have knowledge about DNA and DNA replication, and about the role of RNA in the DNA translation and transcription. You also know the basic principles of immunology.
- you have knowledge about radioactivity, basic radiation physics, radiation chemistry and radiation biology, and you are able to make simple calculations of radiation doses.
- you have knowledge of the physical principles of central diagnostic and therapeutic methods like MRI, CT, PET and modern radiation therapy.?
- you have knowledge of central physiological processes like the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the nervous system, the digestive system and the cellular energy metabolism.?
- you have knowledge of how physiological processes can be modelled using basic physical laws and principles.
- you have through laboratory experiments gained knowledge about certain experimental methods within magnetic resonance, radiation biological and medical physics, learned guidelines for laboratory work, writing reports, and also ethics and behaviour in laboratory settings.
- you have experience in independent and critical thinking, in evaluating the works of fellow students, and in presenting smaller scientific reports written and orally.
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may?apply to take this course as a single course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The following courses must be taken earlier than the first mandatory laboratory in FYS4700:
Recommended previous knowledge
- Either FYS-MEK1110 – Mechanics,?FYS1100 – Mechanics and Modelling, or FYS1105 – Classical Mechanics
- FYS1120 – Electromagnetism
- FYS2140 – Quantum Physics
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with FYS3700 – Biophysics and Medical Physics.
- 5 credits overlap with FYS3710 – Biophysics and medical physics (discontinued).
Teaching
There will be?4-6 hours of teaching per week throughout the semester.
The teaching includes regular lectures, student-active group work and laboratory work.
This course has two compulsory laboratory exercises during the semester, with individual submission of laboratory reports. Both participation in the lab and the two laboratory reports must be approved before you can sit the final exam.
Regulations for mandatory assignments can be found?here.
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Examination
- Final written exam?which counts 100 % towards the final grade.
Two mandatory laboratory exercises, including reports, must be completed and approved before you can sit the final exam.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: ?FYS3700 – Biophysics and Medical Physics
Examination support material
Language of examination
Subjects taught in English will only offer the exam paper in English.
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a?postponed exam?at the beginning of the next semester.
New examinations?are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.
We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.