Introduction to Biology and Medicine—Key Concepts in the Use of Biomaterials in Surgery and Medical Devices

Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine directly addresses the multidisciplinary nature of the biomaterials field by providing concise tutorials in the key concepts essential for practitioners of biomaterials science. The word “biomaterials” implies an intersection of biology and materials. This Section 2.1 addresses the fundamental “bio” science relevant to biomaterials (Section 1.2 serves a similar function for the fundamental materials science relevant to biomaterials). The background biology is important, because this scientific foundation will help us to understand, predict, and engineer the in vivo responses observed by the biomaterials scientist/engineer, the physician, and the patient.