Atomic force microscopy (AFM)	Method used in mechanobiology to quantify and apply mechanical forces in biological systems and biomaterials. The tip of a cantilever is used to probe and indent the underlying surface.
Biomechanics	Approach to describe the structural properties of cells, tissues, organs and organisms by mechanical concepts of engineering sciences.
Complex shear modulus |G *|	Response of viscoelastic material to vibration, expressed in Pa (=N/m²).
Compression	Application of a mechanical force that results in a contraction of the material.
Elasticity	Ability of a material to resume its normal shape after being stretched or compressed. It can be quantified, for example, by Young’s modulus “E”.
Mechanical force	A force that involves contact with another object and that produces a change in state of rest or motion. Mechanical forces are expressed in Newton (N = kg m/sec²).
Mechanobiology	Interdisciplinary field that studies the effects of mechanical forces on the physiology and pathology of living systems.
Mechanosensing	Ability of cells to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli.
Mechanosensitivity	Quantifiable ability of a cell to sense and respond to a specific mechanical stimulus.
Mechanotransduction	The molecular conversion of a mechanical signal into a biological cell response.
Mechanotransmission	The transmission of an applied mechanical load to specialized structures.
Nanoindentation	Technique to measure the hardness of a material by pressing a probe against a sample.
Shear stress “τ”	Stress that is applied parallel or tangential to the surface of a material.
Stiffness	Technical term to describe the elastic properties of a material. It can be quantified by Young’s modulus “E”.
Strain “ε”	Measure of material deformation as a result of tension or compression expressed in percentage.
Stress	Force per unit area within materials that arises from externally applied forces. It is measured in Pascal (Pa = N/m²).
Tension	The application of a pulling force that results in an elongation of the material.
Young’s modulus “E”	Stiffness value expressed in Pa (=N/m²). It describes the elastic properties of a solid undergoing tension or compression in only one direction (E = σ/ε).
Viscoelasticity	Property of materials that display a mixture of viscous and elastic behavior when stressed.