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UnitofYoungsModulus
E
E=Youngsmodulusofelasticity,
propertyofthematerial
Pressure=Force/area
=Pascal
=N/m^2

Elasticpropertiesofbiologicalcomponents

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Elasticpropertiesofbiologicalcomponents
Theviscosityofwateratbodytemperature(37C)is0.01g/cms,
whichisusuallytranslatedtothespecialunitforviscosityof1
centipoise(cp).Bloodhasaviscosityof3cp.Anormaladulthas
morethan5millionRBCspermilliliterofblood

Viscosityofcommonsubstances

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Viscosity

Viscosity
Experimentally,theshearstressisdirectlyproportionaltothevelocity
oftheupperplate,v andinverselyproportionaltothegapdistanceh:

Moreprecisely,theshearstressisequaltoaconstantmultiplied
bythefirstderivativeofthevelocitywithrespecttodistance
normaltothemovingplate:

wherexy istheviscousshearstressinthexdirectionexertedonafluidsurfaceofconstanty.Thenegativesign
mustbeincludedbecauseviscosityhasapositivevalue(>0),andtheshearstressfluxispositiveinthe
directionofdecreasingvelocity.

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Shearrate
Theshearstressandthevelocitygradient(alsocalledtheshearrate)areproportional,withtheconstantof
propor onality,whereistheviscosityofthefluid.Forsomefluids,Equation2holdsoverawiderangeof
shearrateswithaconstant;thesearecalledNewtonianfluids.Thevalueoftheviscosityisapropertyof
thefluid;
isafunctionoffluidphasecomposition,temperature,andpressure.
WaterandbloodplasmaareNewtonianfluids;atbodytemperature(37C)theviscosityofwateris~1cp
(1cp =0.01g/cms)andplasmais1.2cp.

Viscosityofblood
BloodisanonNewtonianfluidbecausetheviscositychangeswithshearrate.Whentheshearrateislow,
RBCstendtoformaggregates,whichincreasetheviscosity.Wholebloodhasaviscosityof3.0cp,provided
thattheshearrateissufficientlyhighsothattheRBCsdonotaggregate.
Atintermediateshearrates,theviscosityofbloodisafunctionofshearrate,asshownintheFigure.
Viscosityofbloodisalsoafunctionofcomposition,dependingparticularlyontheconcentrationofRBCs
andcertainkeyproteins

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Viscous+elasticmaterials
Realmaterialssometimesbehavelikeoneoftheseidealizedmodels:Forexample,undercertain
conditions,cartilagebehaveslikeanelasticmaterialandbloodbehaveslikeaNewtonianfluid.In
contrast,biologicalmaterials,whicharefrequentlycomplexincomposition,canexhibitbehaviorsthat
resembleaspectsofboththeelasticmaterialandanincompressiblefluid,butarealsounlikeeitherof
theseidealizedmodels.Materialsthatexhibitbothviscousandelasticnaturesarecalledviscoelastic.

Creepingbehavior

Dampingcoefficient
Itisoftenusefultocomparethebehaviorofrealmaterialswiththatofidealizedmodels.Asimpleelastic
material,forexample,canbecomparedtoaperfectlyelasticspring.Thebehavioroftheperfectlyelastic
materialisprovidedbyHookesLawEquation,whichcanalsoberewrittenintheform:
whereFistheinstantaneoustotalforceappliedtothematerial,kisthespringconstant,andU
istheinstantaneousdisplacementofthematerial.Whenaforceisappliedtoaspring,the
springinstantaneouslydeformstothelengthprescribedbyHookeslaweqn.

Similarly,aviscousliquidcanbecomparedtoanotheridealizedmechanicalobject,thedashpot.Thedashpot
behaveslikeasimpleviscousliquid:
whichissimilartotheaboveequation,withequaltothedampingcoefficient
(analogoustoviscosity).Whenaforceisappliedtoamaterialthatbehaves
likeaviscousliquid,itdeformscontinuously;thedeformationofthematerial
willcontinueforaslongastheforceisapplied

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Viscousandelasticmodels
(A) Springdashpotmodelsofanelasticsolid
(B) Viscousliquid
(C) MaxwellmodelofviscoelasticMaterials
(D) Voigtmodelofviscoelasticmaterials

Mechanicalbiologicalsystems
Musculoskeletalsystems

Organsystems

Bones
Muscles
Ligaments
Tendons
Cartilage

Lungs
heart