Original Articles: 2010 Vol: 2 Issue: 2
Bucky balls: A novel drug delivery system
Abstract
Nanotechnology means that what we are working with is very small. It generally means that we are working on the molecular level or, at least, in sizes of a few nanometers in the semiconductor industry Smaller…smaller….smaller mantra translates to Faster….. Faster…faster. . What is new is that we are learning to manipulate nanoparticles and even molecules to achieve great benefit. Nanotechnology deals with the study, development and practical application of structures and devices at molecular scale (between 1 and 100 nanometers, one nanometer is equivalent to 1 in 10-9 meters. Nanotechnology employs devices with dimensions of one to 1,000 nanometers. To put this in perspective, consider the following: a nanometer is 1/80,000th the width of a human hair; it is the length of 10 hydrogen atoms placed end to end; and it is less than one third the height of a single twist on a strand of DNA. At these sizes it is no wonder that scientists have seized upon nanotechnology for myriad medical applications