Multiscale structural gradients enhance the biomechanical functionality of the spider fang

Benny Bar-On; Friedrich G. Barth; Peter Fratzl; Yael Politi

doi:10.1038/ncomms4894

Multiscale structural gradients enhance the biomechanical functionality of the spider fang

Benny Bar-On, Friedrich G. Barth, Peter Fratzl, Yael Politi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

The spider fang is a natural injection needle, hierarchically built from a complex composite material comprising multiscale architectural gradients. Considering its biomechanical function, the spider fang has to sustain significant mechanical loads. Here we apply experiment-based structural modelling of the fang, followed by analytical mechanical description and Finite-Element simulations, the results of which indicate that the naturally evolved fang architecture results in highly adapted effective structural stiffness and damage resilience. The analysis methods and physical insights of this work are potentially important for investigating and understanding the architecture and structural motifs of sharp-edge biological elements such as stingers, teeth, claws and more.

Original language	English
Article number	3894
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4894
State	Published - 27 May 2014
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemistry (all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all)
Physics and Astronomy (all)

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title = "Multiscale structural gradients enhance the biomechanical functionality of the spider fang",

abstract = "The spider fang is a natural injection needle, hierarchically built from a complex composite material comprising multiscale architectural gradients. Considering its biomechanical function, the spider fang has to sustain significant mechanical loads. Here we apply experiment-based structural modelling of the fang, followed by analytical mechanical description and Finite-Element simulations, the results of which indicate that the naturally evolved fang architecture results in highly adapted effective structural stiffness and damage resilience. The analysis methods and physical insights of this work are potentially important for investigating and understanding the architecture and structural motifs of sharp-edge biological elements such as stingers, teeth, claws and more.",

author = "Benny Bar-On and Barth, {Friedrich G.} and Peter Fratzl and Yael Politi",

note = "Funding Information: Dr Benny Bar-On acknowledges the generous support from the Minerva Foundation. We thank Dr Paul Zaslansky for his help in the µCT measurements and the Department for Neurobiology at the Vienna University for providing the spider material.",

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AU - Barth, Friedrich G.

AU - Fratzl, Peter

AU - Politi, Yael

N1 - Funding Information: Dr Benny Bar-On acknowledges the generous support from the Minerva Foundation. We thank Dr Paul Zaslansky for his help in the µCT measurements and the Department for Neurobiology at the Vienna University for providing the spider material.

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Y1 - 2014/5/27

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AB - The spider fang is a natural injection needle, hierarchically built from a complex composite material comprising multiscale architectural gradients. Considering its biomechanical function, the spider fang has to sustain significant mechanical loads. Here we apply experiment-based structural modelling of the fang, followed by analytical mechanical description and Finite-Element simulations, the results of which indicate that the naturally evolved fang architecture results in highly adapted effective structural stiffness and damage resilience. The analysis methods and physical insights of this work are potentially important for investigating and understanding the architecture and structural motifs of sharp-edge biological elements such as stingers, teeth, claws and more.

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Multiscale structural gradients enhance the biomechanical functionality of the spider fang

Abstract

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