分子生理学

抄録

Contribution of the X-ray diffraction method to molecular physiology is going to increase markedly since the synchrotron orbital radiation (SOR) has appeared as a strong X-ray source.
The photon factory project has brought us the following prospects. (1) It will become possible to study structural changes of biological systems during their functioning by use of the very strong SOR X-rays. (2) The S/N ratio of diffraction data will be improved by appropriate use of thestrong SOR X-rays of which the divergent angle is very small. (3) Studies of anomalous dispersion will become easy and more detailed information will be supplied to biological structures by using various wavelengths obtained from the continuous wide spectra of SOR X-rays.
Recent technical developments in the X-ray optics, the position sensitive detectors and the X-ray televisions are paving the way to diffraction studies of dynamics of biological systems. Studies at the photon factory will be concerned with muscular contraction (time constant: -10 msec), biomembrane activities (time constant: -1 msec) and kin-etics of enzyme reaction (time constant: 1-100 msec) .
A brief survey is made on some fundamentals and recent achievements concerning structural studies on contraction of muscle and on photoreception of retina.