Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the study of how living things move and work. It looks at everything from big animals and plants all the way down to tiny cells and even smaller parts inside cells, like proteins. Scientists use ideas from mechanics, which is the study of how things move and stay still, to understand these processes.

This field is a part of biophysics, which means it connects biology—the study of living things—with physics, the science of matter and energy. By studying biomechanics, we can learn how animals run, how plants grow, and even how our own bodies work when we walk, jump, or lift things. This knowledge helps doctors, engineers, and many others improve health and design better tools for living things.

Biomechanics helps us understand the amazing ways nature works, from the largest animals to the smallest parts of our cells.

Etymology

The word "biomechanics" was first used in 1899, and the word "biomechanical" was used even earlier in 1856. Both words come from Ancient Greek. The part "bio" means "life," and "mechanics" refers to how things move and are built. Together, they describe the study of how living things move and are structured.

Subfields

Biofluid mechanics

Biofluid mechanics studies how liquids and gases move in or around living things. One common example is how blood flows in our bodies. Blood can be thought of as a special kind of liquid that follows certain rules when it moves through blood vessels.

Biotribology

Biotribology looks at how parts of our bodies, like our joints, move smoothly. It studies things like friction and wear, which are important for keeping our joints healthy and working well.

Comparative biomechanics

Comparative biomechanics applies the study of mechanics to animals, which can help us understand more about how humans work too. This field often looks at how animals move, such as running, jumping, or flying, and how they eat. These studies can help us learn about both animals and humans.

Computational biomechanics

Computational biomechanics uses computer programs to study how living things move and work. These programs help scientists understand complex movements and test ideas without doing experiments on living things, which can be helpful and safe.

Continuum biomechanics

Continuum biomechanics studies how materials in our bodies, like bones and muscles, behave when they are stretched or squeezed. This helps scientists understand how these materials work at different sizes, from very small to very large.

Neuromechanics

Neuromechanics studies how our brain and nervous system work together to control our bodies. By looking at how we move and how our brain sends signals, scientists can learn more about how our body works during different activities.

Plant biomechanics

Plant biomechanics applies the same ideas of mechanics to plants. This includes studying how plants stay strong and healthy, how they grow, and how they respond to different conditions around them.

Sports biomechanics

Main article: Sports biomechanics

Sports biomechanics uses the laws of physics to understand how athletes move. This helps improve performance, prevent injuries, and learn better ways to train. Scientists use many tools, like special cameras and sensors, to study how athletes use their muscles, joints, and bones during sports.

Vascular biomechanics

Vascular biomechanics studies how the blood vessels in our bodies work. This includes understanding how blood flows and how the vessels change over time. This research is important for learning about diseases of the heart and blood vessels and for creating better medical treatments.

Immunomechanics

Immunomechanics is a new field that studies the mechanical properties of cells in our immune system. Scientists use special tools to measure how these cells move and change shape, which helps us understand how they work and stay healthy.

Other applied subfields of biomechanics include

• Allometry
• Animal locomotion and Gait analysis
• Biotribology
• Biofluid mechanics
• Cardiovascular biomechanics
• Comparative biomechanics
• Computational biomechanics
• Ergonomics
• Forensic Biomechanics
• Human factors engineering and occupational biomechanics
• Injury biomechanics
• Implant (medicine), Orthotics and Prosthesis
• Kinaesthetics
• Kinesiology (kinetics + physiology)
• Musculoskeletal and orthopedic biomechanics
• Rehabilitation
• Soft body dynamics
• Sports biomechanics

History

Antiquity

Aristotle is often called the first person to study biomechanics. He wrote about how animals move and described how body parts work together. He looked at the differences between thinking about moving and actually moving.

During the time of the Roman Empire, Galen wrote important books about the human body. His work stayed influential for many years.

Renaissance

Much later, in the 1490s, Leonardo da Vinci studied how the human body moves. He looked at muscles and joints and even tried to copy animal features in his inventions.

In 1543, Andreas Vesalius published a new book about the human body, correcting many ideas from Galen’s work.

Galileo Galilei helped explain why bones are strong yet light, comparing them to hollow tubes. He showed that bigger animals need stronger bones to support their weight.

Industrial era

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli was one of the first to study many aspects of movement, like walking and flying, using mechanical ideas. He discovered important facts about how muscles work and balance in the body.

Later, many scientists began studying the human body in new ways. In the 19th century, Étienne-Jules Marey used early cameras to study how people and animals move. This helped start the science of motion analysis.

With advances in engineering during the Industrial Revolution, scientists also began to study bones as if they were building materials, leading to new understandings of how bones change shape over time.

Applications

Biomechanics is the study of how living things move and work, from tiny cells to big animals and humans. Scientists look at how forces affect limbs, how birds and insects fly, how fish swim, and how all living things move. This helps in creating new medical treatments and studying diseases like cancer.

Biomechanics is also used to understand how our muscles and bones work. Researchers use special tools to measure how we move and how our muscles react to different forces. This knowledge helps make better medical devices, like joint replacements and dental parts. Biomechanics connects with engineering, using math and science to study living systems. Computers and experiments are important tools in this research.