[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-594545-105":59,"doc-detail-594545-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":122,"head_meta":124,"extra_data":126,"updated_unix":128},105,"en","innovations-focusing-on-the-hard-parts-a-biomechanics-laboratory-exercise","INNOVATIONS - Focusing on the Hard parts: A Biomechanics Laboratory Exercise","","Biomechanics laboratory exercise designed for upper-division Biology and Physics majors, using “hard parts” such as bone and shell to explain how organisms optimize strength while minimizing energetic production costs. Students create and build physical analogues inspired by natural strategies including composite materials and internal structural variations, then test designs in a force-vs-mass competition. 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Students design and build physical analogues that take advantage of strategies found in nature such as the use of composites and variations in form and internal structure. These are then tested in a competition to determine whose design can withstand the greatest force with the lowest mass per unit length (a proxy for the energetics of production). From this exercise students gain a better understanding of how these structures can be optimized, as well as providing an opportunity to discuss basic biological concepts such as fitness, variation and evolution.  \nKey words: Biomechanics, bone, physics, biological materials  \nINTRODUCTION  \nThe study of biomechanics provides biology students with an opportunity to apply their education in physics to a biological context and bring together biological concepts normally spread across a wide range of coursework (e.g. evolution, physiology, behavior). At Saint Joseph's University the course in biomechanics covers a broad range of topics including fluid dynamics, biomaterials and locomotion. Lectures taught by members of the Physics and Biology departments are broken into weekly units that cover the physical concepts and theories as well as their biological applications. This manuscript describes a three-week laboratory exercise designed to help students understand the effects of material composition and form on the strength of solid biological structures.  \nThe module on “hard parts” starts with an overview of the relevant material mechanics including stress (the force per area deforming a solid), strain (a measure of the degree of deformation), the elastic modulus (the ratio of the former to the latter), strength (the force which a material can withstand before fracture) and elasticity (the ability of a material to return to its original shape after deformation) . Descriptions, examples and supporting information on these topics can be found in any college physics textbook, and many students may already have been exposed to them during their high school or undergraduate courses.  \nIn contrast to the physics involved, the biological implications of those properties are usually only understood at a very basic level: e.g. that structures such as skeletons, snail shells, and carapaces need tobe strong and light and energetically efficient in their  \nproduction and use. To help the students develop a deeper understanding of how material properties can affect an organism’s fitness we use examples that illustrate two dichotomies: offense vs. defense and composite materials vs. blended materials. Examples of offense are teeth and claws, both of which provide examples of the latter dichotomy. Teeth use the combination of two materials: enamel and dentin. The outer layer of enamel is made of a tough but brittle crystalline form of calcium phosphate called hydroxyapatite. Enamel resists fracture under sudden impact but is prone to fracture with little to nodeformation. To balance the strengths and weaknesses of the enamel, it is bonded to the more energy absorbing dentin. Dentin, like enamel, is also a calcified tissue, but mixed with collagen to change its properties (Vogel, 2003) . Claws, such as those used by scorpions or crabs, use a different strategy, namely changing the composition of a ","cbCaign1sVvPgEZZ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaign1sVvPgEZZ","pdf",308740,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## Course context and learning goals\n## Key mechanics: stress, strain, modulus, strength, elasticity\n## Biological implications and “hard parts” dichotomies\n## Offense vs. defense examples\n## Composite vs. blended biomaterials examples\n## Defensive adaptations: snail shells and mammalian bone","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the biomechanics laboratory exercise?\",\"answer\":\"Students learn how material composition and form affect the strength of solid biological structures, connecting physics concepts to biological implications such as fitness and evolution.\"},{\"question\":\"How do students test and compare their designs?\",\"answer\":\"Students build physical analogues inspired by natural strategies and compete by measuring which design withstands the greatest force with the lowest mass per unit length.\"},{\"question\":\"Which biological examples are used to illustrate the “hard parts” concepts?\",\"answer\":\"The exercise discusses offense and defense strategies using examples such as teeth and claws, and defensive structures like snail shells and mammalian bone.\"}]","INNOVATIONS - Focusing on the Hard parts: A Biomechanics Laboratory Exercise | PDF",15]