492 Appendix A. Global list of symbols and units[[Student version, January 17, 2003]]
V 2 ,potential inside; ∆V=V 2 −V 1 ,jump in potential [Equation 11.1 on page 413,
abbreviated asV in Chapter 12];V^0 ,quasisteady resting potential [Equation 12.3
on page 447];V ̃(t)time course of potential at fixed location [Section 12.2.4 on page
458];V,dimensionless rescaled potential [Equation 7.22 on page 234]
ViNernst,Nernst potential of speciesi [Section 11.2.1 on page 415]
vmaxmaximum velocity of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction [Equation 10.20 on page 381]
v(x, t)potential across a membrane, minus quasisteady potential potential [Sec-
tion 12.1.3 on page 449]; ̃v(t)time course of vat fixed location [Section 12.2.5
on page 461]; ̄vdimensionless rescaled form [Section 12.2.5 on page 461]
vvelocity vector
Wwork (transfer of mechanical energy)
wweight (a force)
Ydegree of oxygen saturation [Your Turn 9m on page 329]
Zhydrodynamic resistance of a pipe [Section 5.3.4 on page 159]
Zpartition function [Equation 7.1 on page 217]
Zgrand partition function [Section 8.1.2 on page 262]
zivalence of an ion of typei,that is, its charge as a multiple of the proton charge,
zi=qi/eGreek alphabet
αbias in a two-state chain, for example minus the free energy change to extend an
alpha-helix by one unit [Equation 9.18 on page 314 and Equation 9.24 on page 322]
βbending deformation of a rod [Section 9.1.2 on page 302]
γcooperativity parameter [Equation 9.17 on page 314 and Section 9.5.2 on page 321]
∆usually indicates a small, but finite, change in the quantity following it. Thus for
example ∆tis a time step
εpermittivity of a medium (unitsF/m);ε 0 permittivity of air or empty space [Sec-
tion 7.4.1 on page 229]. The “dielectric constant” of a medium is defined as the
ratioε/ε 0
αinternal energy of molecules of typeα[Section 8.1.1 on page 260]
ζcoefficient of friction at low Reynolds number [Equation 4.13 on page 107];ζr,rota-
tional coefficient of friction [Problem 4.9]
ηviscosity [Section 5.1.2 on page 143];ηw,viscosity of water; [η], “intrinsic viscosity”
of a polymer, units of volume/mass [Problem 5.8]
θoptical rotation of a solution [Section 9.5.1 on page 318]
θvelocity of propagation of an impulse [Section 12.2.4 on page 458]
κelectrical conductivity [Section 4.6.4 on page 127]
κbending stiffness of a membrane [Section 8.6.1 on page 283]
λDDebye screening length in solution [Equation 7.34 on page 250]
λaxonspace constant of an axon [Equation 12.8 on page 452]
μαchemical potential of molecules of typeα[Equation 8.1 on page 260];μ^0 α,atstandard
concentration [Equation 8.9 on page 266]
νkinematic viscosity [Equation 5.20 on page 166]
Πpressure needed to stop osmotic flow [Section 7.3.2 on page 228]
ρmmass density (mass per unit volume) [Section 1.4.4 on page 19];ρm,wmass density