a look at important terms to fully understand bioprinting .
3D Bioprinting is a form of additive manufacturing that uses cells and other biocompatible materials as “inks”, also known as bioinks, to print living structures layer-by-layer which mimic the behavior of natural living systems.
Regenerative medicine is a distinct major branch in medical advancement which is based on the principles of stem cell technology and tissue engineering in order to replace or regenerate human tissues and organs and restore their functions.
Bioinks are a solution of a biomaterial or a mixture of several biomaterials in the hydrogel form, usually encapsulating the desired cell types, that are used for creating tissue constructs.
Stem cells are special human cells that are able to develop into many different cell types, which can range from muscle cells to brain cells, and have the ability to fix damaged tissues.
Biomaterials are any substances, natural or synthetic, that have been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose - either a therapeutic or a diagnostic one. They are often used in medical applications to augment or replace a natural function.
Scaffolds, typically made of polymeric biomaterials, provide the structural support for cell attachment and subsequent tissue development. Cells are often 'seeded' into these structures capable of supporting three-dimensional tissue formation.