Biomechanics
Instructor: Helen Hess
Why do we get shorter and wrinklier with age? Were dinosaurs warm-blooded? How do
grasshoppers hop? These diverse questions are all within the realm of
biomechanics. A knowledge
of biomechanics, or the ways in which plants and
animals cope with the laws of physics, can
promote an understanding of organisms at all levels
of organization, from molecules to
ecosystems. In this course we explore several areas
of physical science, including mechanical
engineering, materials science, and fluid dynamics,
as a means of gaining insight into the
biological world. Students attend two lecture
sessions per week and one three-hour lab session
for discussions of current research in
biomechanics, review of homework assignments, and
laboratory observations or
demonstrations. Evaluations are based on
participation in discussions,
weekly problem sets, two term papers, and a final
exam. Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisite: one
college-level course in biology and one
college-level course in math or physics or
permission of
instructor. Offered every other year. *ES* *QR*
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