Proton Magnetic Resonance of Biological Systems

核磁共振（NMR）以其对结构和动力学的综合敏感性，是一种研究生物系统的成熟技术。由于生命过程是在溶液中发生的，这些体系中水的质子核磁共振应该包含重要的信息。事实上，医学磁共振成像（MRI）依赖于不同类型的正常组织之间以及正常组织和病理组织之间的组织水信号差异所提供的精细对比。然而，我们对这种精妙的MR对比的根本起源的理解仍处于原始阶段。

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), with its combined sensitivity to both structure and dynamics, is a well-proven technique for the study of biological systems. Since life processes occur in solution, the proton NMR of water in these systems should contain important information. Indeed, medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relies on the exquisite contrast provided by differences in signal from tissue water between different types of normal tissue and between normal and pathological tissue. However, our understanding of the fundamental origins of this exquisite MR contrast is still at a primitive stage.