Biological materials, as physical systems, comprise substances produced by or derived from living organisms, characterized by hierarchical organization from molecular to macroscopic scales and emergent structure–property relationships. They include tissues, extracellular matrices, biominerals, and biopolymers such as collagen, chitin, cellulose, and elastin. Their properties arise from complex architectures combining organic and often inorganic phases, enabling functions such as load bearing, protection, adhesion, and signal transduction. Biological materials exhibit viscoelasticity, anisotropy, self-healing, and adaptive remodeling under mechanical or biochemical stimuli, making them central model systems for biomechanics, biomimetics, and the design of advanced bioinspired and biomedical materials.
Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5–40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body.
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 14, 2026
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To ensure that the tissue structures of biological samples are easily recognizable under the electron microscope, they are treated with a staining agent. The standard staining agent for this is uranyl acetate. However, some ...
Biotechnology
Jan 8, 2026
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489
One of the biggest quests in biology is understanding how every cell in an animal's body carries an identical genome yet still gives rise to a kaleidoscope of different cell types and tissues. A neuron doesn't look nor behave ...
Evolution
Dec 22, 2025
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When people think of high-powered machines, they'd likely think of muscle cars before their own muscles. But muscles and other living tissues can do energetic things very quickly—they twitch, snap and beat—which is how physics ...
General Physics
Dec 16, 2025
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No one has yet created a fully functioning artificial cell. But a research team at Aarhus University has taken a step in that direction:
Bio & Medicine
Dec 15, 2025
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76
From claims that vaccines don't work to manipulated images and deliberately misrepresenting what politicians say, social media is often rife with misinformation. But far from being a recent phenomenon, there is nothing new ...
Researchers have developed a new class of ultra-thin, flexible bioelectronic material that can seamlessly interface with living tissues. They introduced a novel device called THIN (transformable and imperceptible hydrogel-elastomer ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 10, 2025
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152
DNA nanostructures are exciting new biomedical tools with myriad potential in treatment, diagnosis and disease prevention. Made of folded DNA, these nanostructures are highly programmable and have been used in bioengineering ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 8, 2025
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Inside human cells, biology has pulled off the ultimate packing job, figuring out how to fit six feet of DNA into a nucleus about one-tenth as wide as a human hair while making sure the all-important molecules can still function.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 4, 2025
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97
Within tissues, cells are embedded in complex, three-dimensional structures known as the extracellular matrix. Their biomechanical interactions play a crucial role in numerous biological processes. Scientists at the Max Planck ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 2, 2025
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