So, we’re all made out of cells, right? And these cells are really super tiny, so why is it when we accidently cut ourselves, like a papercut or from glass, the sharp edge just doesn’t push the cells to the side?
Further, do those edges push aside out individual atoms too, or somehow have we just been avoiding death via splitting atoms?
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When you get cut, its likely that much of the effect is in fact due to pushing cells aside rather than cutting through them.
The mechanical integrity of our skin and bones and blood vessels is for the most part not based on cells (which are soft and flexible), rather all the stuff around and in between cells.
Keratin and collagen in our skin, collagen and laminin in our soft tissues, hydroxyapatite in our bones, all that stuff is *outside* of our cells.
When something cuts through your body, it might cut through some cells, but much of the effect comes from cutting the extracellular matrix that actually supports weight, keeps blood inside of vessels, etc.
Some cells, like nerve and muscle cells, are long and immobile and thus susceptible to being cut, but a lot of the cells in your skin and fat and glandular tissue will just get pushed aside.
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