The vast array of libraries in the world bear mute witness to the truth
of the 3000-year-old observation of King Solomon who stated " ... of
making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the
flesh." Yet books are an essential written record of our lives and the
progress of science and humanity. Here is another book to add to this
huge collection, but, hopefully, not just another collection of pages,
but rather a book with a specific purpose to aid in alleviating the
"weariness of the flesh" that could arise from much studying of other
journals and books in order to obtain the basic information contained
herein. This book is about polymeric materials and biological activity,
as the title notes. Polymeric materials, in the broad view taken here,
would include not only synthetic polymers (e.g., polyethylene, polyvinyl
chloride, polyesters, polyamides, etc.), but also the natural
macromolecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides) which
compose natural tissues in humans, animals and plants. In the broad
sense used here, biological activity is any type of such action whether
it be in medication, pest control, plant-growth regu- lation, and so on.
In short, this book attempts to consider, briefly, the use of any type
of polymeric material system with essentially any kind of biological
activity.