Biology
Biomechanics of Elastic Energy Storage in Jumping Arthropods
Quick fact
Fleas and froghoppers store elastic energy in a pad of resilin, a protein that is about 95% efficient at returning stored energy, enabling them to accelerate at over 300 times the force of gravity.
Why this is interesting
Fleas can jump over 100 times their own body length—but their muscles aren't powerful enough to do it. So how do they manage such an explosive leap?