Nanomechanics of Biomaterials – from Cells to Shells

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Biological organisms are inherently complex. Although investigations of the function and design of living organisms have existed since the dawn of science, only in recent years have the tools existed to extend such studies to the nanoscale. Progress in nanomechanics of biological systems has enabled our understanding of intricate mechanical designs which nature has optimized for specific functions. This review provides an overview of the field of bionanomechanics, emphasizing the manner in which fundamental mechanical concepts are expressed in the design of a wide spectrum of biological specimens. We show that diverse species exploit common concepts to achieve desired function; a principle that extends over large scales of size and mechanical properties. The powerful techniques that enable such studies, particularly atomic force microscopy and instrumented nanoindentation, as well as common analytical approaches are given special attention.