The study of how mechanical stimuli regulate biological processes. The mechanobiology of bone and cartilage lies at the heart of two of the most common skeletal diseases in the elderly: osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

Cells are sensitive to mechanical force, and respond in a variety of ways, many of which are beneficial, but others that contribute to disease.

While biologists have contributed greatly to our understanding of the biochemical signaling pathways that transmit these responses, little progress has been made in identifying the initiating event in which a mechanical force is first transduced into a biochemical signal.

Mechanics regulates biological processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organism levels.

Mechanical loading can influence cell proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism; and as such, plays a crucial role in the growth, adaptation, regeneration and engineering of living tissues.

Several mechanisms have been proposed, and some have been characterized, but there is still much to learn.

In the process of studying the interactions between force and biology, this new field of mechanobiology is now being studied in various universities.