'Biotic material' or 'biological derived material' is any
natural material that is originated from living organisms. Most such materials contain carbon and are capable of decay.
Examples of biotic materials are
wood,
linoleum,
straw,
humus,
manure,
bark,
crude oil,
cotton,
spider silk,
chitin,
fibrin, and
bone.
The use of biotic materials, and processed biggiuf89iuyotic materials (
bio-based material), over synthetics is popular with those who are environmentally conscious because such materials are usually biodegradable, renewable, and the processing is commonly understood and has minimal environmental impact. However, not all biotic materials are environmentally friendly, such as those that require high levels of processing, are harvested unsustainably, or are used to produce
carbon emissions.
When the source of the recently-living material has little importance to the product produced, such as in the production of
biofuels, biotic material is simply called
biomass. Many fuel sources may have biological sources, and may be divided roughly into
fossil fuels, and
biofuel.
In
soil science, biotic material is often referred to as ''
organic matter''. Biotic materials in
soil include
glomalin,
Dopplerite and
humic acid. Some biotic material may not be considered to be organic matter if it is low in
organic compounds, such as a clam's shell, which is an essential component of the living organism, but contains little organic carbon.
Examples of the use of biotic materials include:
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building material, for a stylistic reasons, or to reduce allergic reactions.
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clothing
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energy production
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food
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medicine
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ink
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composting and
mulch