Biology 427 — Biomechanics

Syllabus — Autumn 2016
	Date	Lecture	Homework and Reading	Labs
Week 1	September 28 September 30	Introduction to biomechanics: units and scope of course Terrestrial locomotion I: kinematics and forces	Homework 1 Answers to Homework 1 Paper 1 Reading: Wiki Summary of Classical Mechanics	No Lab
Week 2	October 3 October 5 October 7	Terrestrial locomotion II: energy Terrestrial locomotion III: energy again Lifting: torques and moments	Reading: Simple models of walking and jumping Homework2 Answer to Homework 2 Paper 2 Mathematica Jumper model	Lab 1: Jump right into it
Week 3	October 10 October 12 October 14	Biomaterials I: stress, strain and stiffness Biomaterials II: strength and toughness Biomaterials III: visco-elasticity	Optional readings: Vogel Ch 15-18: On reserve at Odegaard Rentable kindle version of Vogel Homework 3 Key to Homework 3 Paper 3	Lab 2: Gaits to the future
Week 4	October 17 October 19 October 21	Biological structures I: second moment of area Biological structures II: shape and stress Vibrating systems:resonance and frequency response	Optional readings: Vogel Ch 15-18: On reserve at Odegaard Homework 4 Homework 4 key Paper 4	Lab 3: Stress, strain and beams
Week 5	October 24 October 26 October 28	Motor Molecules From motors to muscles Muscle contraction at macro scales	Review of molecular motors Homework 5 Paper 5	Lab 4: Vibrations and beam-a-thon
Week 6	Octorober 31 November 2 November 4	Introduction to biological flows: defining principles Flow around creatures I: energy and Bernoulli Flow around creatures II: drag forces and Reynolds numbers	Nice Wiki review of viscosity Homework 6	Lab 5: Introduction to Fluids
Week 7	November 7 November 9 November 11	Flow around creatures III: shape and drag Flow around creatures IV: lift and circulation Veteran's Day		Lab 6: Lift and Bernoulli Poster Template Poster Guidelines
Week 8	November 14 November 16 November 18	Flight I: gliding and equilibrium forces Flight II: flapping fundamentals Flow inside animals I: Poiseuille's Law.	A summary of gliding by Y. Munk	Project Proposal
Week 9	November 21 November 23 November 25	Blood flow I: viscosity of suspensions Blood and physiological flows Thanksgiving	Mathematica code for blood and protein flows	No Labs
Week 10	November 28 November 30 December 4	Low Reynolds numbers I: Low Reynolds numbers II: Accelerational flows	Life at low Reynolds numbers	Lab 7: Tube flows and low Reynolds numbers
Week 11	December 5 December 7 December 9	Cardio-respiratory mechanics Heat, mass and momentum -- coupled transport Scaling of life	—	Posters presentation and submission Posters Dropbox