Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the study of the mechanics and other physical aspects of living organisms and their parts. Biomechanics studies 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 cellss to whole organisms.

Tensional integrity of biological forms

New research into the strength of biologically formed structures shows a remarkable similarity to the principle of tensegrity. The tensegrity concept states that structures formed with a combination of prestressed and tensioned parts have an overall integrity greater than that found in the sum of their parts. The degree of increased strengh of tensegrity structures depends on the efficacy of their design to of their parts to function, both with each other and within their particular environment.

See also: Biology, Mechanics, Orthosis, Physics, Physiology.