Editing Materials science (section)

===Biomaterials===
{{Main|Biomaterial}}
[[File:NautilusCutawayLogarithmicSpiral.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|The iridescent [[nacre]] inside a [[nautilus]] shell]]
A biomaterial is any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with [[biological system]]s.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Morhardt |first1=Duncan R. |title=Role of Biomaterials in Surgery |date=2019-01-01 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine |pages=315–330 |editor-last=Reis |editor-first=Rui L. |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128012383658452 |access-date=2024-04-28 |place=Oxford |publisher=Academic Press |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.65845-2 |isbn=978-0-12-813700-0 |last2=Mauney |first2=Joshua R. |last3=Estrada |first3=Carlos R.}}</ref> Biomaterials science encompasses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering, and materials science.

Biomaterials can be derived either from nature or synthesized in a laboratory using a variety of chemical approaches using metallic components, [[polymer]]s, [[bioceramic]]s, or [[composite material]]s. They are often intended or adapted for medical applications, such as biomedical devices which perform, augment, or replace a natural function. Such functions may be benign, like being used for a [[heart valve]], or may be [[Biological activity|bioactive]] with a more interactive functionality such as [[hydroxylapatite]]-coated [[hip implant]]s. Biomaterials are also used every day in dental applications, surgery, and drug delivery. For example, a construct with impregnated pharmaceutical products can be placed into the body, which permits the prolonged release of a drug over an extended period of time. A biomaterial may also be an [[autograft]], [[allograft]] or [[xenograft]] used as an [[organ transplant]] material.