dynamic mechanical analysis of collagen fibrils at the nanoscale low frequency 012 hz dynamic mechanical analysis on individual type i collagen fibrils has been carried out using atomic force microscopy afm both the elastic static and viscous dynamic responses are correlated to the characteristic axial banding gap and overlap regions the elastic modulus 5 gpa on the overlap region where the density of tropocollagen is highest is 160 that of the gap region the amount of dissipation on each region is frequency dependent with the gap region dissipating most energy at the lowest frequencies 01 hz and crossing over with the overlap region at 075 hz this may reflect an ability of collagen fibrils to absorb energy over a range of frequencies using more than one mechanism which is suggested as an evolutionary driver for the mechanical role of type i collagen in connective tissues and organs