First-generation biomaterials

Materials used in biomedical applications are in contact with the body and must therefore satisfy specific requirements they must be nontoxic, biocompatible, and suitable for the specific application, which may require them to have adequate biomechanical properties and physical strucmre. The first-generation biomaterials were designed initially to achieve adequate mechanical strength and a relative state of bioinertness. However, it is impossible to achieve total inertness therefore, second-generation materials are still being developed. These materials are being designed specifically to evoke surface-specific reactions or responses from the biomaterials and particular cells within the body. 

Biodiesel is a mixture of long-chain fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) that is produced from biomaterials through transesterification of triacylglycerol (TAG, ie, plant oil and animal fats) with methanol. In chemistry, the biodiesel synthesis could be expressed by the reaction as shown in Fig. 1.2. In principle, any triacylglycerol could be used for biodiesel production. In fact, the first generation of biodiesel was mainly produced from edible plant oil, such as soybean, rapeseed, and palm oil. The low price of plant oil before 2008 and high diesel price in the European countries allowed... 

Since cell-adhesion events are almost always the first step in the regeneration of injured or destroyed tissues, the ability to control these events should lead to the generation of better artificial tissues. Complementary modifications of the cell and biomaterial surfaces could allow cells to be directed to a... 

---