Origins and Evolution of Life -- Initiation -- Machinery of prokaryotic cells -- The photosynthetic revolution -- Origins of diploidal eukaryotic cells -- Summary: further stages of evolution -- Structures of Biomolecules -- Elementary building blocks -- Generalized ester bonds -- Directionality of chemical bonds -- Weaker intratomic interactions -- Ionic interactions -- Covalent bonds -- Free radicals -- Van der Waals bonds -- Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions -- Polysaccharides -- Amphiphilic molecules in water environments -- Structures of proteins -- Polypeptide chains -- Proteins -- Protein folding -- Electrophoresis of proteins -- Protein interactions with environment -- Electron transfers in proteins -- Structures of nucleic acids -- Electrostatic potential of DNA -- DNA: information and damage -- Fluorescence in biomolecules -- Dynamics of Biomolecules -- Diffusion -- Diffusional flow across membranes -- Cells without sources -- Cells with sources -- Vibrations versus conformational transitions -- Stochastic theory of reaction rates -- Conformational transitions of proteins -- Protein-glass model -- Protein-machine model -- Models of random walks on fractal lattices -- Introduction to polymer biophysics -- Elastic properties of polymers -- Cellular automata -- Conway's game of life -- Bioenergetics: The Davydov model -- Biological coherence: The Froehlich model -- Ionic currents through electrolytes -- Electron conduction and tunneling -- Proton transport -- Interactions with electromagnetic radiation.

"Introduction to Molecular Biophysics builds the modern theoretical foundation needed to understand life processes from a physical point of view. The authors use a combination of biological information and physical models and theories to provide a rigorous description of biological structures. They offer a guided tour through the interlocking hierarchies of living systems, starting from the smallest building blocks of life and ending with a panoramic view of the evolving landscape of life and living forms. The book is richly illustrated and includes numerous examples, references, and experimental tools that make it valuable as both a reference work and textbook."--Jacket.