Application of thermal analysis methods in biology and medicine

Abstract

Thermal analysis methods are widely used in the characterization of substances and materials in chemistry and engineering. But they also find their application in life sciences: biology and medicine. This paper exhaustively and critically reviews the application of the most commonly used thermal analysis methods for the characterization of organs and tissues of plants, animals, and humans. The methods are suitable for differentiating between several types of water in a cell, optimizing treatment, storage, or cultivation conditions, following plant or animal development, medical diagnostics and modelling, and more. Expertise developed in the characterization of synthetic materials and molecules can be transferred to that of biological tissues and biomolecules and opens a perspective for interdisciplinary research. Still, researchers should take into consideration the inherent complexity of biological samples, as well as inevitable changes when isolating the tissue from the living organism.