Blog number 8
In watching the lectures this week discussing
nanotechnology, my mind was blown when Dr. Gimzewski said, “When we look at a
picture of a molecule we are not actually looking at how the molecule really
looks… these different representations here are representing something that is
invisible. We can represent the atoms by balls; we can represent the
connections by sticks etc. … But the picture is not really a representation of
the molecule. The molecule is essentially in a way invisible. It’s more like a
cloud of electrons and probabilities.” I was extremely interested in this idea
because I had always thought atoms really looked like the balls and sticks in
the pictures. It is crazy to think all the diagrams of atoms I have studied in
science classes all these years are just computer generated pictures of an idea
that is actually invisible. It is clear that the people generating these
pictures must be extremely creative and artistic. As you can see in the
pictures below, generating such atom structures with computers is an art form
in itself.
I was also intrigued when Dr. Gimzewski mentioned that
nanotechnology is starting to be used in cosmetics. This is because you can
specifically target a cell and then by endocytosis the particle will be
absorbed into the cell selectively. He mentioned that L’Oréal
is investing in nanotechnology research for skin products. After further
research I found that L’Oréal is the leader in
Nanotechnology-related patents for cosmetics and invested $927 million in
research in 2011. Research has shown that the nanoparticles can in fact have an
impact on wringles, but only if they can reach the middle layer of skin called
the dermis. More recent studies have shown that the nano-particles are in fact
able to penetrate through the skin to the dermis, opening doors to endless
possibilities in Nano-particle skin care and cancer treatment in the future.
CITATION
Falaschetti, Christine. "Nanotechnology and the Science
of Beauty." Science in Society Main. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 24
Nov. 2013.
"Questions and Answers - How Do I Make a Model of an
Atom?" Questions and Answers - How Do I Make a Model of an Atom?
Jefferson Lab, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Ashliegh. "BioTech 177." BioTech 177 RSS.
N.p., 25 May 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment