Dielectric Relaxation in Biological Systems

The study of dielectric properties of biological systems and their components is important not only for fundamental scientific knowledge but also for its applications in medicine, biology, and biotechnology. The associated technique - known as dielectric spectroscopy - has enabled researchers to quickly and accurately acquire time- or frequency-spectra of permittivity and conductivity and permitted the derivation and testing of realistic electrical models for cells and organelles. This text covers the theoretical basis and practical aspects of the study of dielectric properties of biological systems, such as water, electrolyte and polyelectrolytes, solutions of biological macromolecules, cells suspensions and cellular systems. The authors' combined efforts provide a comprehensive and cohesive book that takes advantage of the expertise of multiple scientists involved in cutting-edge research in the specific sub-fields of bio-dielectric spectroscopy while maintaining its self-consistency through numerous discussions. The first six chapters cover theoretical, methodological and experimental aspects of relaxation and dispersion in biological dielectrics at molecular, cellular and cellular aggregate level. Applications are presented in the following chapters which are organized in the order of increased complexity, beginning with pure water, amino acids and proteins, continuing with vesicles and simple cells such as erythrocytes, and then with more complex, organelle-containing cells and cellular aggregates. Due to its broad coverage, the text could be used as a reference book by researchers, and as a textbook for upper-level undergraduate classes and graduate classes in (bio) physics, medical physics, quantitative biology, and engineering. This book is a tremendously useful tool for researchers who wish to understand dielectric relaxation methods aimed at studying biological materials. It covers experimental techniques, data analyses, as well as models, in each case ranging from historical backgrounds to state-of-the-art approaches. Challenging features of biological materials such as interfacial dielectric effects and the role of water are covered in detail by experts in the field. The book provides many examples of dielectric signatures of biological processes and illustrates these by informative figures. Ranko Richert, The textbook presents a view of dielectric theory, analysis and associated experimental techniques with a focus on biological applications. It addresses the determination of permittivity over a wide range of frequencies and conductivities and presents the methodology for dealing with electrode polarization by experimental techniques and analysis. The text presents a compendium of data, contemporary analyses and results that delineate the system dynamics on biologically interesting systems, ranging from water to macromolecules to membranes to cells. This text is intended for scientists who need information on such systems and/or who want to augment their research arsenal with dielectric measurements. This text is well annotated with useful references. John G. BerberianPART I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ; 1.1 Elementary Theory of the Interaction of Electromagnetic Fields with Dielectric Materials ; 1.2 Theory of Suspension of Particles in Homogeneous Fields ; 1.3 Dielectric Models and Computer Simulations for Complex Aggregates ; PART II: EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND TECHNIQUES ; 2.1 Experimental Methods ; 2.2 Electrode Polarization ; 2.3 Analysis of Experimental Data and Fitting Problems ; PART III: APPLICATIONS ; 3.1 Dielectric Relaxation of Water ; 3.2 Amino Acids and Peptides ; 3.3 Dielectric Spectroscopy of Hydrated Biomacromolecules ; 3.4 Proteins in Solutions and Natural Membranes ; 3.5 Dielectric Properties of Polyelectrolytes and Lipid Vesicles ; 3.6 Radio-Frequency Dielectric Properties of Cell Suspensions ; 3.7 Dielectric Properties of Blood and Blood Components ; 3.8 Glucose Detection From Skin Dielectric Measurements