Plant biomechanics in the 21st century

Abstract

Living beings obey physical laws, and this applies at all scales of the organism, from the interaction of the whole organism with its environment to subcellular processes. Biomechanics research enhances our understanding of the manner in which biological organisms cope with and exploit physical principles and how the functional design of cells, tissues, and processes involves not only biochemical but also mechanical concepts. Neither the cell biologist nor the ecologist can afford to ignore mechanical aspects when investigating the relationship between genotype and phenotype. As we continue to decipher the physical and engineering principles that determine plant structure and function, engineers and architects continue to be inspired by and mimic these to let human-created design benefit from structural and organizational principles that have proven their efficiency through their evolutionary survival.