Why do you switch from walking to running at a
specific speed? Why do tall trees rarely blow over in
high winds? And why does a spore ejected into air at
seventy miles per hour travel only a fraction of an
inch?
Comparative Biomechanics is the first and
only textbook that takes a comprehensive look at the
mechanical aspects of life--covering animals and plants,
structure and movement, and solids and fluids. An ideal
entry point into the ways living creatures interact with
their immediate physical world, this revised and updated
edition examines how the forms and activities of animals
and plants reflect the materials available to nature,
considers rules for fluid flow and structural design,
and explores how organisms contend with environmental
forces.
Drawing on physics and mechanical
engineering, Steven Vogel looks at how animals swim and
fly, modes of terrestrial locomotion, organism responses
to winds and water currents, circulatory and
suspension-feeding systems, and the relationship between
size and mechanical design. He also investigates links
between the properties of biological materials--such as
spider silk, jellyfish jelly, and muscle--and their
structural and functional roles. Early chapters and
appendices introduce relevant physical variables for
quantification, and problem sets are provided at the end
of each chapter.
Comparative Biomechanics is
useful for physical scientists and engineers seeking a
guide to state-of-the-art biomechanics. For a wider
audience, the textbook establishes the basic biological
context for applied areas--including ergonomics,
orthopedics, mechanical prosthetics, kinesiology, sports
medicine, and biomimetics--and provides materials for
exhibit designers at science museums.
- Problem sets at the ends of chapters
- Appendices cover basic background information
- Updated and expanded documentation and materials
- Revised figures and text
- Increased coverage of friction, viscoelastic
materials, surface tension, diverse modes of
locomotion, and biomimetics
