Intro -- DEGRADABLE POLYMERS -- DEGRADABLE POLYMERS -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- SYNTHETIC NON-DEGRADABLE POLYMERS: INCREASING AMOUNTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES -- ABSTRACT -- REFERENCES -- BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHEMICAL POLYMERS -- ABSTRACT -- 2.1. BIOPACKAGING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SYNTHETIC PLASTICS -- REFERENCES -- BIODEGRADABLE POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES(PHAS) - POLYMERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY -- ABSTRACT -- 3.1. DISCOVERY AND EARLY STUDIES OF PHAS -- 3.2. DIVERSITY OF PHAS -- REFERENCES -- MICROBIOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS OF PHAS -- ABSTRACT -- 4.1. PHA BIOSYNTHESIS -- 4.2. PHA PRODUCING ORGANISMS AND CONDITIONS OF PHA BIOSYNTHESIS -- REFERENCES -- SUBSTRATES FOR PHA SYNTHESIS -- ABSTRACT -- 5.1. PHA PRODUCTION FROM WASTE RAW MATERIALS -- REFERENCES -- PHA PRODUCTION: PRESENT AND FUTURE -- ABSTRACT -- REFERENCES -- PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF PHAS -- ABSTRACT -- REFERENCES -- BIODEGRADATION OF POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS -- ABSTRACT -- 8.1. BIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION OF PHAS -- 8.2. PHA BIODEGRADATION BY SOIL MICROFLORA -- 8.3. PHA DEGRADATION IN WATER ECOSYSTEMS -- REFERENCES -- POTENTIAL AREAS FOR PHA APPLICATION -- ABSTRACT -- REFERENCES -- POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES AS A PLATFORM FOR DRUG DELIVERY -- ABSTRACT -- 10.1. CONSTRUCTION OF POLYMER MATRICES BASED ON DEGRADABLE PHAS AS A PLATFORM FOR DRUG DELIVERY -- 10.3. BIOLOGICAL COMPATIBILITY OF PHA MICROPARTICLES -- 10.4. MEDICINAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PHA MATRICES IN THE FORM OF MICROPARTICLES -- REFERENCES -- PHA MATRICES FOR CELL AND TISSUE ENGINEERING -- ABSTRACT -- 11.1. MATERIALS AND PRINCIPLES FOR CONSTRUCTING CELL SCAFFOLDS -- 11.2. RESORBABLE PHAS AS MATERIAL FOR CELL SCAFFOLDS -- 11.3. A STUDY OF BIOLOGICAL COMPATIBILITY AND DEGRADATION OF MATRICES PREPARED FROM PHAS WITH DIFFERENT CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IN EXPERIMENTS ON LABORATORY ANIMALS -- REFERENCES. BIOMEDICAL POTENTIAL OF PHAS -- ABSTRACT -- 12.1. PHAS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS: ADVANTAGES AND BASIC ASPECTS OF APPLICATION -- 12.2. PHA POTENTIAL FOR BONE TISSUE REPAIR -- 12.4. POTENTIAL USE OF PHAS FOR ENHANCING THE BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF MESH STENTS -- 12.5. PHA AS A MATERIAL FOR FULLY BIODEGRADABLE STENTS -- 12.6. PHA POTENTIALS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY -- REFERENCES -- INDEX.