Comparative Biomechanics

How do you control your limbs to allow you to walk, run, throw, or grasp? How do wings and fins generate lift and thrust, allowing birds and bees to fly or fish and dolphins to swim? Why do bodies change shape during development, and why are the bones of large animals so different from those of small ones? In this course, we will focus on the intersection of physics and biology to understand how animals move and interact with their environment. We will apply principles in physics and engineering to biological materials, morphology, physiology, and neurobiology. To achieve this, we will discuss the interaction of the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems that enable animals, including humans, to walk, run, fly, swim, and eat