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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterial, Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany.
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bar-On
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Friedrich G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterial, Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fratzl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterial, Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Politi
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D013112:Spiders / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin