%0 Journal Article %T Elementos conceptuales para estudiar el comportamiento bioadhesivo en pol¨ªmeros %A Vallejo D¨ªaz %A Bibiana M %A Perilla %A Jairo E %J Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Qu¨ªmico - Farmac¨¦uticas %D 2008 %I Scientific Electronic Library Online %X the bioadhesion is an interfacial phenomenon ocurring between a polymer and a biological surface. due to the complex nature of polymers and molecules present in the biological surfaces, many factors determine the strength and duration of the adhesion. however, the specific interactions in the polymer/biological substrate interface are governed by both, the properties of the polymer and the nature of the substrate. in this document the theoretical fundamentals of the current mechanisms that have been proposed to explain bioadhesion are reviewed. also, the main factors determining the bioadhesive behavior of a polymer and the properties of the substrate are discussed. finally, the experimental techniques to evaluate the bioadhesion in polymers are analyzed, and the applications in some therapeutic pharmaceutical systems presented. %K bioadhesion %K adhesive interface %K interfacial tension %K mucoadhesion %K surfaces. %U http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0034-74182008000100003&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en