ABSTRACT
Devices made of synthetic or natural materials have been used in the medical area and introduced into the human body to improve human health since ancient times. Romans, Chinese, and Aztecs used gold wires in dentistry more than 2,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks sutured wounds with plant ‡bers and animal-derived materials and used wood for prosthetic limbs. Since then, scientists have continued their research to ‡nd bioactive agents to cure illnesses and to improve the quality of human life by using arti‡cial prostheses.
