Nano Theory

What are your thoughts on the use of nano's on the Human body?
The removal of nanos from the system?
The counter action with the Human system as a foreign object and rejection of the nanos?
pro and con

One pro would have to be the effectiveness in which they could deliver a certain medicinal compound to the active site, reducing greatly the loss of the compound due to metabolic processes. In that sense, it would be beneficial to implement nanotechnology on the body.

The con would have to be the effects thus foreign object may have on the body. Anything that goes into your body has to be thoroughly studied, because it may become a cofactor on a reaction which can have effects as serious as destroying your DNA. Other possible effect may be the effectiveness of the removal from the organism once it finishes whatever it is it came to do.

I think there are a lot of variables that have to be carefully measured and prepared for before anyone actually implements this type of technology on the human body, although the benefits may well be worth all the trouble of the research.

True but what if this could be used like a GPA system?
Pro or con?

Originally posted by Dtime
What are your thoughts on the use of nano's on the Human body?
The removal of nanos from the system?
The counter action with the Human system as a foreign object and rejection of the nanos?
pro and con

I just thought I mention the fact that nano-particles as well as natures nano-machines are a natural part of the human body -3 examples:

1, microtubules (with a diameter of 25nm)

2, the cilia that line the lungs

3, mitochondria (which is about 400nm across).

Enzyme molecules could be also regarded as natures “nano-machines” although I think this is would be stretching the definition a bit.

So I am guessing here that the introduction of man-made nacho’s into the human body wouldn’t necessarily impose any special or strange problems? -although I admit I wouldn’t like to bet my life on it.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
I just thought I mention the fact that nano-particles as well as natures nano-machines are a natural part of the human body -3 examples:

1, microtubules (with a diameter of 25nm)

2, the cilia that line the lungs

3, mitochondria (which is about 400nm across).

Enzyme molecules could be also regarded as natures “nano-machines” although I ...[text shortened]... impose any special or strange problems? -although I admit I wouldn’t like to bet my life on it.

True. But the possible interactions of these nanomachines with the body's own might includes a set of variables that might be regarded as a con until thoroughly studied. Most enzymes and proteins in the body require certain conditions to function properly. The nano machines that we might insert in a human body can actually alter these conditions (pH, concentration of ceatin salts, etc.), leading to denaturation of the protein and the loss of its function.

I think that inserting a nanoparticle in such a delicate environment as the body requires thorough study and proof that the benefits far outweigh the possible consequences.

Originally posted by dannyUchiha
True. But the possible interactions of these nanomachines with the body's own might includes a set of variables that might be regarded as a con until thoroughly studied. Most enzymes and proteins in the body require certain conditions to function properly. The nano machines that we might insert in a human body can actually alter these conditions (pH, con ...[text shortened]... ody requires thorough study and proof that the benefits far outweigh the possible consequences.

…I think that inserting a nanoparticle in such a delicate environment as the body requires thorough study and proof that the benefits far outweigh the possible consequences.....…

I agree if a load of nano-particles are injected into the whole blood stream or a load of nano-particles are injected into a vital organ -I for one would be afraid of that being done to me. But I don’t see much risk if, say, a few are inserted just below the skin and don’t enter the general blood stream -I think that demanding “proof” that this is totally safe could be just a bit too curious! -“probably safe” would be good enough here I think.

Even if the proposal is to inject a load of them into the whole blood stream or into a vital organ (which I would agree could be risky without a lot of proper research), for a terminally ill patient that may have little to loose from such considerable risks, it may on balance still be worth it even though those same risks may be totally unacceptable for a person without a terminal illness.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
[b]…I think that inserting a nanoparticle in such a delicate environment as the body requires thorough study and proof that the benefits far outweigh the possible consequences.....…

I agree if a load of nano-particles are injected into the whole blood stream or a load of nano-particles are injected into a vital organ -I for one would be afrai ...[text shortened]... ven though those same risks may be totally unacceptable for a person without a terminal illness.[/b]

For the less informed, what precisely is a nano-particle or nano-machine? The Wikipedia article
is a little vague.

Nemesio

Originally posted by Nemesio
For the less informed, what precisely is a nano-particle or nano-machine? The Wikipedia article
is a little vague.

Nemesio

…The Wikipedia article
is a little vague. ..…

-I am not suppressed -a “nano-anything” is generally something that is just a “few” nano-meters across. But how much is a “few”? -I mean, is it 1000nm or 500nm or what?

There is also the thorny problem of exactly what distinguishes a “nano-particle” that is not said to be a “machine” from a “nano-machine” -I mean, is it just to do with moving parts? -if so, can just moving electrons be considered to be “mechanical moving parts” in this context? -if so, that would make a single molecule of chlorophyll a “nano-machine”! -somehow I don’t think we would normally refer to a molecule of chlorophyll as a “machine“.

Perhaps a “nano-machine” is a thing that is just a “few” nm across and itself partly consists of at least one other particle that is itself just a “few” nm across and which is a “mechanical moving part” because it can bend/slide/rotate relative to the position of the rest of the structure -but that would make certain molecules in chemistry “nano-machines”!

For these reasons, I doubt very much that there is a truly non-arbitrary “scientific” definition to what defines a “nano-particle” or “nano-machine” -I am afraid this is not the answer you would want 😕

Originally posted by Nemesio
For the less informed, what precisely is a nano-particle or nano-machine? The Wikipedia article
is a little vague.

Nemesio

Something in the "nano" range i.e. between 1-100 nm

Originally posted by najdorfslayer
Something in the "nano" range i.e. between 1-100 nm

I got that much. I meant what is nano-technology? What machines are they making and for what
purposes?

Nemesio

"Nano" medicine should be treated in the same way as regular drugs; just because there is some fancy technology behind it doesn't mean you have to be extra vigilant.

Originally posted by dannyUchiha
True. But the possible interactions of these nanomachines with the body's own might includes a set of variables that might be regarded as a con until thoroughly studied. Most enzymes and proteins in the body require certain conditions to function properly. The nano machines that we might insert in a human body can actually alter these conditions (pH, con ...[text shortened]... ody requires thorough study and proof that the benefits far outweigh the possible consequences.

…The nano machines that we might insert in a human body can actually alter these conditions (pH, concentration of certain salts, etc.), leading to denaturising of the protein and the loss of its function.
.….

I had somehow missed what you said there above before:

1, Acids and alkalines and also “PH buffers” normally change PH -there is no reason why nano-particles would generally have any significant effect on PH.

2, denaturising of proteins normally occurs as a result of excessive heat breaking the weak sulphur links between the amino-acid chains or by over exposure to very high concentrations of alcohol or bleach etc -not exposure to nano-sized particles. -there is no reason why nano-particles would generally have the effect of denaturising proteins.