| Abstract |
"Nature's Machines: An Introduction to Organismal Biomechanics presents the fundamental principles of biomechanics of animals and plants in a concise, accessible way while maintaining necessary rigor. Frequently encountered, basic concepts such as stress and strain, Young's modulus, force coefficients, viscosity, and Reynolds number are introduced in early chapters in a format as self-contained as possible, making them quickly available for learning and as a refresher. More sophisticated, integrative concepts such as viscoelasticity, properties of hydrostats, or mechanics of walking and running are covered in the later chapters, where they draw on information from multiple earlier sections of the book. Animal and plant biomechanics is now a common research area widely acknowledged by organismal biologists to have broad relevance. Most of the day-to-day activities of an animal involve mechanical processes, and to the extent that organisms are shaped by adaptive evolution, many of those adaptations are constrained and channelized by mechanical properties; the similarity in body shape of a porpoise and a tuna is no coincidence. Nonspecialists may feel that they have an intuitive understanding of many of the mechanical processes that affect animals and plants, but careful biomechanical analyses often yield counterintuitive results. For example, soft, squishy kelp may be better at withstanding pounding waves during storms than hard-shelled mollusks; really small swimmers might benefit from being spherical rather than streamlined; our bones can operate without breaking for decades, whereas steel surgical implants exhibit fatigue failures in a few months if not fully supported by bone. Making sense of these unexpected observations requires an understanding of fundamental biomechanical principles, and this short introduction provides just this needed information. Key features: Provides an introductory presentation of the everyday mechanical challenges faced by animals and plants; Offers biologists or engineers a background in biomechanics, whether to better understand the research literature or to explore the possibility of using biomechanics approaches in their own work; Suitable for use as required reading for advanced undergraduate or graduate student courses or seminars in biomechanics or supplemental reading in other science and engineering courses."-- Page 4 of cover. |
