ABSTRACT
Throughout this book, we have examined some basic classifications of soft materials, from liquid crystals and surfactants to colloids and polymers. At this point, you should be familiar with the characteristics of these materials. As you have seen, there is considerable crossover between these material classifications, but common themes unite the field. In this chapter, we look at the different soft materials that can be found in the living cell. Aside from our bones and teeth, the body is primarily composed of soft tissues, so we can naturally classify the building blocks of these tissues as soft materials, from the macroscopic level of fat and muscles, down to the microscopic structures inside individual cells.
