Biological materials found in Nature such as nacre and bone are well recognized as light‐
weight, strong, and tough structural materials. The remarkable toughness and damage …

Eight structural elements in biological materials are identified as the most common amongst
a variety of animal taxa. These are proposed as a new paradigm in the field of biological …

Nature utilizes the available resources to construct lightweight, strong and tough materials
under constrained environmental conditions. The impact surface of the fast-striking dactyl …

Biological systems must have the capability to withstand impacts generated during collisions
due to combat and defense. Thus, evolution has created complex materials' architectures at …

Natural composites exhibit exceptional mechanical performance that often arises from
complex fiber arrangements within continuous matrices. Inspired by these natural systems …

Spider silk is extraordinarily strong, mollusk shells and bone are tough, and porcupine quills
and feathers resist buckling. How are these notable properties achieved? The building …

Biological materials are typically multifunctional but many have evolved to optimize a chief
mechanical function. These functions include impact or fracture resistance, armor and …

Collagen is the principal biopolymer in the extracellular matrix of both vertebrates and
invertebrates. It is produced in specialized cells (fibroblasts) and extracted into the body by a …

The Bouligand structure, which is found in many biological materials, is a hierarchical
architecture that features uniaxial fiber layers assembled periodically into a helicoidal …

Horns from the Bovidae family represent extremely tough natural composites that resist
flexural and impact damage during combat. However, the microstructure characteristics of …