Nanotechnology Applications in healthcare
Introduction
Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of matter that is either in the form of an atom, molecule or supramolecule. The inception of nanotechnology is aimed at manipulating molecules and atoms with the goal of fabricating macro scale products. It involves manipulation of matter using at least one dimension size that ranges from 1-100nanometers (Fulekar, 2010).
In the recent times, nanotechnology has been applied in various fields of study. They include; medicine, agriculture, fuel cell development, engineering, air and water purification and above all space exploration. The following research discusses the current and future application of nanotechnology in the afore-mentioned fields.
Use in engineering
According to Bi & He (2016), nanotechnology is expected to evolve from the utilization of the current microprocessors to the application minicomputers with super versions of microprocessors. The technology might get incorporated in the invention of minute devices with potential larger processing abilities (Bi & He, 2016). For instance, it can be applied in shrinking supercomputers to less than cubic millimeter regarding volume and employ less than 2 watts as compared to what the supercomputers used.
Application in fuel development
Research shows that energy produced from cells is somewhat slow, and nanotechnology can be applied to boost it up. Use of this new form of technology might lead to a turn of events. Nanotechnology applications can skyrocket the existing power generated by cells while at the same time decreasing cost per kilowatt (Yuet al., 2016). If the ideologies anticipated ever worked, nanotechnology might get utilized to harness much of the power that gets lost through the transmission processes.
Use in medicine
Present application of nanotechnology in the field of medicine focus on Nanorobots. Although it is a theoretical perspective, researchers view it as a potential breakthrough in handling complex issues in medicine, such as cellular regeneration in diseases such as cancer. (Yuet al., 2016). According to these authors, nanotechnology can be applied in treating life diseases affecting human beings. The future of this technology aims at application of programmed nanorobots in treating/repairing sick human cells in the body. It focuses on prolonging life spans and eradication of incurable diseases.
Application in air and water purification
The current technology being applied in purification of air and water does not produce 100% results. However there is a chance that with the application of nanotechnology, things might become efficient. According to Ratner (2013) application of nanotechnology in this field could promote the achievement of 100% purification of air and water in the future. The number of impurities in both air and water might get decreased with the application of this form of technology.
Application in Agriculture
Nanotechnology could get employed in the invention of new forms of crops that can withstand harsh climatic conditions like drought. This technology is also being used to engineer pest resistant crops (Ratner & Ratner, 2013).The technology could also get used in the invention of mechanisms that could help in the increasing of crop yields.
Use in space exploration
According to Yu et al (2016), today’s space stations and research companies like NASA use the technology in construction their equipment’s. For instance, they refine materials like zinc, copper, and aluminum using nanotechnology applications. In the future, the technology might get used in improving these materials further so as to help the companies in the construction of equipment’s that might assist them to further exploration expeditions into deep space (Bi & He,2016). For instance, the companies might be able to produce equipment’s that can withstand the heat from the sun. It is through the development of such devices that the companies might have an opportunity to explore planets adjacent to the sun.
Conclusion
From the above research, it is evident that nanotechnology does more good than harm to the world. It might also lead to the reduction in workloads via the introduction of new devices that could fasten different aspects of work and increased productivity, facilitating growth of world economy. It could also result in development of new medicine that may lead to an increase in lifespan through the eradication of life illnesses. Clearly, the technology might help in making the world a more efficient and a more productive global village.
Reference
Bi, Z., & He, B. B. (2016). Phospholipid transesterification in sub-/super-critical methanol with the presence of free fatty acids. Fuel, 166, 461-466. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2015.11.009
Fulekar, M. H. (2010). Nanotechnology: Importance and applications. New Delhi: I.K. International Pub. House.
Ratner, M. A., & Ratner, D. (2013). Nanotechnology: A gentle introduction to the next big idea. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Yu, M., Saga, K., Imou, K., Hasegawa, F., Kaizu, Y., Tosa, K., & Kato, S. (2016). Solid fuel production from Jatropha oil cake by heat-press treatment. Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food, 9(1), 15-20. doi:10.1016/j.eaef.2015.08.001
