Bending is the creation of simple curvature along a line or surface. In compositional terms, a bend can change direction, join discontinuity seamlessly. In the behavior of a structural member, bending or flexure is the result of the application of a load perpendicular to its axis. The resulting deformation of material is a response to reactive forces: tension along the convex or outside edge of the member; compression along its concave surface or inside edge; along its axis and parallel to its length, the member develops shearing stresses in which the material within the member, for example parallel fibers in a wood beam, resist sliding against one another.