The ongoing process of bio-evolution has produced materials which are perfectly adapted to fulfil a specific functional role. The natural world provides us with a multitude of examples of materials with durability, strength, mechanisms of programmed self-assembly and biodegradability. <P>The materials industry has sought to observe and appreciate the relationship between structure, properties and function of these biological materials. A multidisciplinary approach, building on recent advances at the forefront of physics, chemistry and molecular biology, has been successful in producing many synthetic structures with interesting and useful properties. <P><IT>Structural Biological Materials: Design and Structure-Property Relationships</IT> represents an invaluable reference in the field of biological materials science and provides an incisive view into this rapidly developing and increasingly important topic within materials science. <P>This book focuses on the study of three sub-groups of structural biological materials: <P>&bull; Hard tissue engineering, focussing on cortical bone &bull; Soft tissue engineering &bull; Fibrous materials, particularly engineering with silk fibers. <P>The fundamental relationship between structure and properties, and certain aspects of design and engineering, are explored in each of the sub-groups. The importance of these materials, both in their intrinsic properties and specific functions, are illustrated with relevant examples. These depict the successful integration of material properties, architecture and shape, providing a wide range of optimised designs, tailored to specific functions. <P>Edited by Manuel Elices of the Universidad Polit&eacute;cnica de Madrid, Spain, this book is Volume 4 in the Pergamon Material Series.