School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44140. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044140. Epub 2012 Sep 11.
The endoskeletal structure of the Sea Urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii, has numerous long spines whose known functions include locomotion, sensing, and protection against predators. These spines have a remarkable internal microstructure and are made of single-crystal calcite. A finite-element model of the spine's unique porous structure, based on micro-computed tomography (microCT) and incorporating anisotropic material properties, was developed to study its response to mechanical loading. Simulations show that high stress concentrations occur at certain points in the spine's architecture; brittle cracking would likely initiate in these regions. These analyses demonstrate that the organization of single-crystal calcite in the unique, intricate morphology of the sea urchin spine results in a strong, stiff and lightweight structure that enhances its strength despite the brittleness of its constituent material.
棘皮动物海胆的内骨骼结构有许多长刺，其已知功能包括运动、感应和防御捕食者。这些刺具有显著的内部微观结构，由单晶方解石制成。根据微计算机断层扫描（microCT）并结合各向异性材料特性，建立了棘刺独特多孔结构的有限元模型，以研究其对机械加载的响应。模拟表明，棘刺结构的某些点会出现高应力集中；在这些区域可能会出现脆性开裂。这些分析表明，海胆棘刺独特而复杂形态中方解石单晶的组织导致了一种坚固、坚硬和轻量级的结构，尽管其组成材料易碎，但仍能增强其强度。
