Roles of Chemical Species Transport and Transformation in the Biophysics of Human Pathophysiology

The human physiological system consists of several biological units carefully organized to engage in a bio-physicochemical interaction with complex fluids transporting nutritional and life-supporting species (oxygen and carbon dioxide) needed for the proper functioning of the body. The nutritional species are products of the chemical and mechanical transformation of macromolecular compounds such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids into simple molecules such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids. Life-supporting species access the body via ventilation and respiration. Alteration of these mechanisms, which include distortion in bioactive species transport and transformational processes, the influx of diet deficient of vitamins and nutrients needed for homeostasis, and pathogens considered foreign to the body, are precursors to most human pathophysiological conditions. This review focus on the roles of chemical species transport and transformation and their interactions with tissue structure and biomechanics in the causative mechanisms of an array of pathophysiological conditions considered as the world’s leading causes of death. Improved understanding of these roles will substantially assist in shaping and formulating a framework for multi-scale modelers and researchers interested in the quantitative description of chemical species transport and transformation in the biophysics of human physiology and pathophysiology.