Strength, Trauma, and Tolerance

Abstract

There are many reasons why the study of the strength of biological tissues and organs is important. In the first place any living organism must be strong enough to withstand the loads imposed on it by its environment and its activities. The history of evolution is a history of cells forming more efficient organizations for competition and survival. The shapes of plants and animals depend largely on the structural materials these organisms can manufacture and organize into structures of adequate strength. See Currey (1970) and Wainwright et al. (1976).