Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the research and analysis of the mechanics of living organisms. The research and analysis can be carried forth on multiple levels, from the molecular, wherein molecular biomaterials such as collagen and elastin are considered, to the macroscopic level, all the way up to the tissue and organ level. Some simple applications of Newtonian Mechanics can supply correct approximations on each level, but precise details demand the use of Continuum Mechanics.

Related Topics:
Mechanics - Organism - Molecular - Molecular biomaterials - Collagen - Newtonian Mechanics - Continuum Mechanics

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Some simple examples of biomechanics research include the investigation of the forces that act on limbs, the aerodynamics of bird and insect flight, the hydrodynamics of swimming in fish and locomotion in general across all forms of life, from individual cells to whole organisms. The biomechanics of human beings is a core part of kinesiology.

Related Topics:
Aerodynamics - Bird - Insect - Flight - Hydrodynamics - Swimming - Fish - Locomotion - Cell - Human - Kinesiology

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Applied mechanics, most notably thermodynamics and continuum mechanics and mechanical engineering disciplines such as fluid mechanics and solid mechanics, play prominent roles in the study of biomechanics. By applying the laws and concepts of physics, biomechanical mechanisms and structures can be simulated and studied.

Related Topics:
Thermodynamics - Continuum mechanics - Mechanical engineering - Fluid mechanics - Solid mechanics

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Relevant mathematical tools include linear algebra, differential equations, vector and tensor calculus, numerics and computational techniques such as the finite element method.

Related Topics:
Linear algebra - Differential equation - Calculus

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The study of biomaterials is of crucial importance to biomechanics. For example, the various tissues within the body, such as skin, bone, and arteries each possess unique material properties. The passive mechanical response of a particular tissue can be attributed to the various proteins, such as elastin and collagen, living cells, ground substances such as proteoglycans, and the orientations of fibers within the tissue. For example, if human skin were largely composed of a protein other than collagen, many of its mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus, would be different.

Related Topics:
Biomaterial - Protein - Collagen - Skin - Elastic modulus

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Chemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology have much to offer in the way of explaining the active and passive properties of living tissues. For example, the binding of myosin to actin is based on the biochemical reaction, where Ca^{2+} and ATP move the troponin and tropomyosin to allow for the crossbridges to bind to the activation sites on the actin.

Related Topics:
Chemistry - Molecular biology - Myosin - Actin - Biochemical - ATP - Troponin - Tropomyosin - Crossbridges

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It has been shown that applied loads and deformations can affect the properties of living tissue. There is much research in the field of growth and remodeling as a response to applied loads. For example, the effects of elevated blood pressure on the mechanics of the arterial wall, the behavior of cardiomyocytes within a heart with a cardiac infarct, and bone growth in response to exercise have been widely regarded as instances in which living tissue is remodeling as a direct consequence of applied loads.

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