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Activity – Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures,

materials and devices. The technology promises scientific advancement in many sectors such as
medicine, consumer products, energy, materials and manufacturing. Nanotechnology refers to
engineered structures, devices, and systems. Nanomaterials have a length scale between 1 and 100
nanometers. At this size, materials begin to exhibit unique properties that affect physical, chemical, and
biological behavior. Researching, developing, and utilizing these properties is at the heart of new
technology.
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/default.html

Instruction. Do the Task on nanotechnology. Complete the table by filling in the necessary examples of
nanotechnology in application.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and
can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science,
and engineering.

It started with a talk entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” by physicist Richard
Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) on
December 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used. In his talk, Feynman described a
process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. Over
a decade later, in his explorations of ultraprecision machining, Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term
nanotechnology. It wasn't until 1981, with the development of the scanning tunneling microscope that
could "see" individual atoms, that modern nanotechnology began.

https://www.britannica.com/science/recombinant-DNA-technology

TASK 1. List some examples of nanotechnology and their respective therapeutic effect to some diseases.
Read first the article below before answering the table. You may also read
https://www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6614262/

Nanotechnology Therapeutic effect

Nanotechnology refers to the branch of science and engineering devoted to designing, producing,
and using structures, devices, and systems by manipulating atoms and molecules at nanoscale, i.e.
having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nanometres (100 millionth of a millimetre) or less. In
the natural world, there are many examples of structures with one or more nanometre dimensions, and
many technologies have incidentally involved such nanostructures for many years, but only recently has it
been possible to do it intentionally.

Many of the applications of nanotechnology involve new materials that have very different
properties and new effects compared to the same materials made at larger sizes. This is due to the very
high surface to volume ratio of nanoparticles compared to larger particles, and to effects that appear at
that small scale but are not observed at larger scales. The applications of nanotechnology can be very
beneficial and have the potential to make a significant impact on society. Nanotechnology has already
been embraced by industrial sectors, such as the information and communications sectors, but is also
used in food technology, energy technology, as well as in some medical products and
medicines. Nanomaterials may also offer new opportunities for the reduction of environmental pollution.

But these new materials may also present new health risks. Humans have developed
mechanisms of protection against various environmental agents of different sizes. However, until recently,
they had never been exposed to synthetic nanoparticles and their specific characteristics. Therefore the
normal human defense mechanisms associated with, for example, immune and inflammatory systems
may well not be able to respond adequately to these nanoparticles. In addition, nanoparticles may also
disperse and persist in the environment, and therefore have an impact on the environment.

As far as health risks are concerned, there are two types of nanostructure to consider:

• those where the structure itself is a free particle, called free nanoparticles, which is the group of
greater concern; and

• those where the nanostructure is an integral part of a larger object, for instance, materials with
coatings composed of nanomaterials. However, as long as the nanoparticles are fixed to the
carrier, there is no reason to suppose that they pose a greater risk for health or the environment
than the larger scale materials.

https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/nanotechnologies/l-2/1-introduction.htm

Guide Questions:

1.How nanotechnology differ from recombinant DNA?

2. How nanotechnology become a breakthrough in the field of medicine?

You may search for further information:

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/default.html
https://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition
https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/nanotechnologies/l-2/1-
introduction.htm
https://www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6614262/