In existographies, Aharon Katchalsky (1914-1972), aka "Aharon Katzir" was an Israeli chemist and biophysical thermodynamicist noted for his 1965 Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics in Biophysics, a fairly cogent application of thermodynamics to physiological problems.
Overview
In 1958, Katchalsky began to bring the formalism of linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics into physiology (biology), particularly in the study of membrane transport. [1]
In 1965, Katchalsky published his Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics in Biophysics, co-written with American epithelial physiologist Peter Curran, which is one of the most fluent and cogent textbooks on thermodynamics ever written. [3]
Katchalsky was fascinated by the concept of time, in the context of the irreversible directionality of thermodynamics, epitomized as a movement towards disorder, and directional physiology of living organisms, as captured in the general ordering process of evolution. On this topic, in 1965 Katchalsky gave a series of lectures on “The Physics and Biology of Time”, recorded by on film, at the University of California at Berkeley. [1] In 1968, Katchalsky founded the field of network thermodynamics through his associations at Harvard University and the Lewis School of thermodynamics. [4]
On 29 Dec 1970, Katchalsky, via his “Thermodynamics of Flow and Biological Organization”, was the opening speaker at the AAAS Symposium on Science and Human Values, a conference largely devoted to the application of thermodynamics to social phenomena. [5]
Reaction end
Katchalsky's thermodynamics work was cut short, irregularly, when he died during the May 30th, 1972 Lod Airport massacre at Tel Aviv.
Quotes | On
The following are related quotes:
“Thermodynamics was one of Katchalsky’s great loves.”
— Alan Perelson (1975), “Network Thermodynamics” [2]
References
1. Aharon Katzir (see: section “thermodynamics”, in About Aharon Katzir, and video of "The Physics and Biology of Time") – Aharon Katzir-Katchalsky Center.
2. Perelson, Alan S. (1975). “Network Thermodynamics”, Biophysical Journal, Vol. 15 (7): 667-85.
3. (a) Opinion of American chemical engineer Libb Thims.
(b) Katchalsky, Aharon and Curran, Peter F. (1965). Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics in Biophysics. Harvard University Press.
4. Peter F. Curran (1931-1974) – Biography, The-APS.org.
5. Katchalsky, Aharon. (1971). “Thermodynamics of Flow and Biological Organization” (abs)(Ѻ), Zygon, 6(2):99-125.
External links
● Aharon Katzir – Wikipedia.
