Structural biological materials have composite microstructures, with hierarchically organized constituents, which affect their overall mechanical behavior. The interplay between structure, form, and mechanics of biological materials is observed throughout the spectrum and thus understanding fundamental relations is very challenging because of its highly multidisciplinary nature. In this talk, I will present the structure-property relations in different biological materials that perform different functions. First, the needle-like ovipositors of fig wasps, that are used to pierce through hard substrates for laying eggs. Exploring the specific adaptations which allow them to withstand wear and fracture, we hypothesize that the presence of transitional metals in the cutting regions leads to increased hardness and thereby reduced wear. Using a combination of X-ray microanalysis and Atomic Force Microcopy, we show that the increased hardness of the cuticle in the tip regions of the ovipositor which are used to penetrate the substrate correlates with the presence of zinc in these regions. Second, we investigate the mandibles of coffee stem borer larvae to explore similar adaptations that may be used to cut through hardwood fibrils comprising the plant stem. Nanoindentation was used to characterize the mandible hardness and show an increased hardness in the tip regions of the mandible. Such hardening mechanisms in insect systems permit the application of high forces to cut through hard substrates. Also, a scaling model based on a fracture mechanics framework was developed to show the importance of the mandible shape in generating chip sizes. Finally, a brief presentation will be given on other explored biological materials and the possible future directions. These integrative approaches developed to characterize biological systems can be used to develop bioinspired mechanical designs and multifunctional materials.