nanotetch

Nanoparticles are tiny. Very tiny, in fact. It is only until quite recently that we have been able to even see them with the invention of the scanning electron microscope. It turns out that nanoparticles are around the size of a molecule of glucose, around twenty-four atoms big. The properties of elements at the ‘nanometric’ level are much different than those at their common sized state, in fact their properties are sometimes even opposite. For example, an element that is normally solid and relatively inert could be liquid and very flammable when nano-sized.

The properties of elements and compounds at the nanoscale level have undergone much experimentation and they have many useful applications that can affect us in our everyday lives. We can see how the effects diesel exhaust affects our lungs at a nanoscale level. Nanoparticles can be used to detect clots in arteries to the point of the exact location for an immediate response. They have even used nanoparticles as a cheaper and efficient means of detecting HIV and cancerous cells. The knowledge of these properties is still new and much more research has to be done to know what is safe to put into our bodies and how nanoparticles react. Hopefully nanotechnology will revolutionize medical treatments and diagnostics for our betterment!

sources:

 "DNA Folding, in Detail." Paul Rothemund:. Web. 22 May 2015.

"Findings on Pollution Damage." Web. 22 May 2015.

"New Nanoparticles Make Blood Clots Visible." Web. 22 May 2015.

"Programmable Bio-Nano-Chip as Medical Diagnostic Tool." Web. 22 May 2015.

"World's First Programmable Nanoprocessor." Web. 22 May 2015.