Nanotechnology FPS

allotrope

different forms of the same element (e.g., carbon in the forms of diamond and graphite)

antibacterial

preventing bacteria from growing or spreading

artificial

Made by human beings and not by nature

atom

the basic unit of a chemical element.

biorisk

the risk associated with biological materials

biodegradable

a substance that can be decomposed by bacteria or living things, and therefore does not cause pollution

bottom-up assembly

building products by assembling single atoms and molecules into larger nanostructures

buckyball

graphene that is shaped into a sphere; buckyballs are extremely stable and can maintain their shape under extreme pressure and in outer space

bulk materials

particles that are larger than 100 nanometers in all dimensions

carbon

a nonmetallic element found in all living things

carbon nanotube

a sheet of graphene rolled into a tube

cardiovascular disease (CVD)

a disease that affects the heart or blood vessels

cell adhesion

the bonding of cells to surfaces or to other cells

chemotherapy

the treatment of a disease, often cancer, using chemical substances

composite

a substance made of more than one element

conductivity

the property of allowing heat or electricity to travel through a substance

cosmetics

Products applied to the face, skin, or hair to improve appearance

DNA origami

folding of DNA at the nanoscale to create complex structures

ductility

of metal, the property of being able to be drawn out into a wire

encapsulate

to contain one substance inside another

fullerene

a graphene sheet rolled into a tube or spheres; types of fullerenes are buckyballs and carbon nanotubes

graphene

a net of carbon molecules one atom thick that can be formed into a lattice nanostructure

greenhouse gas emissions

the release of harmful greenhouse gasses like CO2 into the atmosphere, also called carbon emissions

inorganic

related to compounds or substances that are not organic

immune system

the network of cells and organs that defend the body against infection

infection

illness caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi that enter the body and multiply

insulator

a substance that does not conduct heat or electricity, and prevents those things from passing through it

liposome

a tiny sphere of liquid that can carry drugs through the body

macro-

(prefix) bigger than nanoscale

microplastics

extremely small pieces of plastic, often the result of discarded plastic breaking down in the environment

molecule

A group of atoms bonded together

mote

a small particle or a tiny piece of substance

mRNA

messenger RNA, instructs DNA how to create specific proteins

nano-

(prefix) one billionth; of technologies, materials, and sciences, a prefix meaning 'at the nanoscale' e.g. nanomedicine, nanorobotics, nanosilver, etc.

nanocellulose

a lightweight, strong, renewable material obtained from plant matter

nanocomposite

a material that is made from two or more types of particle, at least one of which is a type of nanoparticle

nanomaterial

a material that has nanoparticles, or is created using nanotechnology

nanometer

one billionth of a meter; one atom is around 1-3 nanometers across

nanoparticle

a particle that is between 1-100 nanometers in size

nanorobots

robots built to operate at the nanoscale, currently in the conceptual scale but may be a reality in the coming decades

nanoscale

A length scale of 1-100 nm

nanosensor

tiny sensors to measure physical, chemical, biological, or environmental information at the nanoscale level and transfer data for analysis

nanotechnology

the science of designing, producing, and using devices and systems by manipulating atoms and molecules at the nanoscale

optical

relating to how light interacts with a substance

organic

relating to living things

quantum dot

a small cluster of atoms, usually between 2 and 10 nanometers, usually made of conductive materials such as zinc

scanning tunneling microscope

a microscope used for imaging surfaces at the atomic level

self-repair

the ability of a material to partially or completely repair damage

smart dust

tiny sensors capable of measuring and transmitting information on their environment

textile

relating to fabric or cloth

therapy

a treatment of a mental or physical disorder

Top-down assembly

breaking down of large materials to create nanoscale molecules

toxic

poisonous, something that causes harm to living cells

virus

an infectious organism that can only reproduce inside a host's body