Mechanobiology

Mechanobiology is the study of how stresses and their associated deformations communicate with cells and tissues through biochemical pathways. Central to mechanobiology is mechanotransduction, which is the process by which molecular mechanisms and pathways sense and respond to mechanical stimuli (e.g., stresses, strains, strain rate, strain energy, stiffness, etc.). These are very important topics in biomechanics as the balance between mechanics and biology defines physiology and health, whereas perturbations of this balance may lead to pathology.