title: Zoetic polymers.
abstract: Conditions mediating the formation of biological polymers in situ are reviewed, and terminology suggested to differentiate polymers found in living cells from synthetic materials and polymers derived from biological sources that are modified or studied in a way that obscures their biological function. Methods currently used to characterize the mechanical properties of biopolymer networks in cells are briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Integrative and Medical Biophysics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Building 9, Room 1E116, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. nossalr@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nossal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000379:methods*; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers