Biomechanics is the research and analysis of the
mechanics of living
organisms or the application and derivation of engineering principles to and from biological systems. The research and analysis can be carried forth on multiple levels, from the
molecular, wherein
biomaterials such as
collagen and elastin are considered, 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.
Aristotle wrote the first book on biomechanics, De Motu Animalium, or
On the Movement of Animals. He not only saw animals' bodies as mechanical systems, but pursued questions such as the physiological difference between imagining performing an action and actually doing it. 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, the anchorage and mechanical support provided by tree roots, 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.
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