Nature is the oldest and greatest constructor ever, making things better for thousands of years. It’s made everything lighter, stronger, and just wonderful. Because of this, people who make things are now looking at how nature does it. They call it biomimicry.
Some people might not believe that our bones are better than the materials we use to make things every day. They might ask, Are bones stronger than steel? Are bones stronger than concrete? Well, the answer is not simple.
Nature has been making our bones better for a very long time. When you compare bones to stainless steel, bones are also strong when you push them down, but they are much lighter.
So, what happens when a bone gets really damaged and human engineers have to help? It turns out that Nature’s work is hard to beat.
Why Bones are Strong?
Even though implants are needed by many people, they don’t last as long as our bones do. For instance, it might take 60 to 80 years for a knee joint to wear out naturally, but a knee replacement usually doesn’t last even a quarter of that time.
When we walk or jump, our bones endure loads that can be four to twenty times our body weight. These loads come in different forms like pressing, twisting, sliding, and stretching.
How do bones handle all this pressure? It’s because of their structure. Bones are made of strong collagen fibers filled with minerals, along with blood vessels, living cells, protein, and water.
Similarly, in designing materials, engineers use composites. But making materials that can adapt and change like bones do is tough. So, engineers keep trying different materials and designs until they make implants that work well.
Why is There a Saying, ‘Bones Are Stronger Than Steel’?
Human bone is claimed to be stronger ounce for ounce than steel. But, if bones are so strong, how can they break? It mostly comes down to physics, force, and harm. Even if your bones are healthy, a hard impact might cause them to break. However, if your bones are already compromised, even a little bump might result in a break. Your bones may become less thick and fragile as you age or for other reasons.
The expression “bones are stronger than steel” is often used informally to emphasize the remarkable strength and durability of bones in comparison to their size and weight. While bones are not physically stronger than steel in terms of pure material strength, they possess a remarkable combination of characteristics that make them highly effective at fulfilling their biological function.
What is Stronger – Bone or Steel?
Bones are indeed strong and resilient, but they have their limits. While bones are designed to withstand a considerable amount of force, they can still break when subjected to extreme or concentrated impact, especially from materials as hard and dense as steel.
When a bone is hit by a steel item with enough power, numerous things contribute to its ability to break:
- Force Concentration: Steel objects often have small contact points, which concentrate the force onto a smaller area of the bone. This increases the pressure applied to that area, making it more likely to fracture.
- Material Hardness: Steel is much tougher and denser than bone tissue. When a steel item impacts a bone, the force is passed through the bone, and steel’s material qualities may readily outperform the bone’s inherent resilience.
- Speed and Momentum: The steel object’s speed and momentum at the point of collision are also important considerations. Higher speeds and masses apply more stress on the bone, increasing the likelihood of fracture.
- Bone Health: The health and condition of the bone itself can affect its ability to withstand impact. Bones weakened by conditions such as osteoporosis or previous injuries may be more prone to fractures even from relatively minor impacts.
- Angle and Direction of Force: The angle and direction of the force applied to the bone may also impact the risk of fracture. Bones are stronger when subjected to forces that are parallel to their natural structure and weaker when exposed to forces that are perpendicular to that alignment.
