Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical Applications
Part 10: Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical Applications
This part explores the physics of fluids in motion. Building on the concepts of fluid statics, you will learn how fluids flow through pipes, blood vessels, and airways, and how quantities such as flow rate, velocity, pressure, and viscosity are related. You will study Bernoulli’s equation, Poiseuille’s law, and the conditions under which fluid flow changes from smooth (laminar) to chaotic (turbulent).
Fluid dynamics has extensive applications in biology, physiology, and medicine. The principles developed in this part explain blood circulation through the cardiovascular system, airflow in the lungs, the delivery of intravenous fluids, and the operation of many medical devices. You will also examine molecular transport processes such as diffusion and osmosis, which are essential for nutrient transport, gas exchange, kidney function, and the movement of water across cell membranes. Together, these concepts provide a physical foundation for understanding many physiological processes and clinical applications.
This part contains the following chapters:
- Introduction to Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical Applications
- Flow Rate and Its Relation to Velocity
- Bernoulli’s Equation
- The Most General Applications of Bernoulli’s Equation
- Viscosity and Laminar Flow; Poiseuille’s Law
- The Onset of Turbulence
- Motion of an Object in a Viscous Fluid
- Molecular Transport Phenomena: Diffusion, Osmosis, and Related Processes
