Introduction to Tissue Biomechanics (GE, BB)

3 credits · Graduate

Introduction to the mechanical behaviors of biological tissues, cells and molecules of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Topics to be covered include static force analysis and nonlinear optimization theory; linearly elastic models for stress-strain analysis and solutions to relevant problems in bioelasticity; models of active structures (e.g., muscles); and introductory theory for finite element analysis. Emphasis will be placed on modeling stress-strain relations with relevance to biological tissues, including experimental means to measure stress and strain in these structures. Prerequisites: Engineering 201 or equivalent; Biomedical Engineering 302 or equivalent; Mathematics 353.