are rapidly developing areas of Life Sciences and Technology relating to Medicine and Biology. All the Biophysical Sciences use the theoretical and technical approaches of Physics and Engineering but are much more than just good Physical Science and Engineering applied to Biology and Medicine. Each of the Biophysical Sciences has its own special objectives, but all are closely interrelated.
Biophysics is a basic experimental science which strives to understand life processes in terms of mathematically formulated, widely applicable new theory and which makes free use of sophisticated measuring, testing and cornnuting instrumentation.
Bioengineering brings Biophysical information, principles and techniques to bear on immediate and long range practical problems for the benefit of mankind. It operates in many areas of Biology, Medicine, and even Communications and Social Science, but has two quite different modes of operation. In the most common form it uses theory and techniques inspired by Physical Science and Engineering but reformulated and based on experimental results and new Biomathematics which makes it extremely powerful and widely applicable. In its second or Biomimetic mode, Bioengineering develops engineering in the image of life. It examines life systems to discover inspiration for new engineering approaches.
Biomathematics, like theoretical physics, is developing new mathematics and reshaping old unused mathematics to give strong quantitative theory to aid us in thinking about and solving life and medical problems. Biomathematics will almost surely need new computers that think in quantitative but much more humanistic terms. These biocomputers will, of course, involve bioengineering.