nanotechnology

nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is technology that creates small materials at the scale of molecules by manipulating single atoms.

The name nano comes from the size of molecules which is measured in nanometers - or one billionth of a meter (0.000000001 meter). The dimension of single atoms is ten fold smaller. The molecular processes of life, particularly the activity of proteins (enzymes) and the self-organizing behavior of many biological molecules has greatly inspired nanotechnology and molecular motors (ie protein complexes) could be considered the result of natures nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating atoms and molecules to fabricate materials, devices and systems.

Nanotechnology takes atoms and precisely assembles them to produce items with desirable characteristics, unlike current production methods, in which existing parts and components are combined. Objects are built in a manner similar to the way bricks are stacked on top of one another to build a wall.

The goal of nanotechnology is to control individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit. Beyond being used in computers and communication devices, nanotechnology could be used to build devices, change the properties of materials and make advances in biotechnology.