How small is really, really small? How small is nano technology? Standard measurement used for nanocomponents range from ten to 100 nanometers, or a billionth of a meter. To flow through the smallest capillaries in the bloodstream, the particles must be less than micrometer (a millionth of a meter) in size-- smaller than a red blood cell.

Properties of the nanoparticles, such as color, change due to their sheer tininess, contributing to their medical flexibility in terms of diagnosis tags. In addition, shapes and aspect ratios may be altered readily when bathed in certain solutions, such as sodium citrate in the creation of gold nanospheres. (For more information on gold nanoparticles and potential medical applications see the research of Dr. El-Sayed.)

Click here to see an interactive size comparison. Note the size of the red blood cell and specifically the lysosome, at a single micrometer, to imagine the size of a nanoparticle.

Nanoparticle technology has the broadest capabilities and most accuracy in medicine delivery and tumor extermination. The size of these particles gives them unique and amazing properties that can destroy or heal individual cells without any effect on the others. No more will cancer patients go through painful or debilitating chemotherapy. Now, researchers have proven the effectiveness of nanotechnology against cancer, and within years, the health care system will see reform: the numbers of tumors diagnosed will increase, size of tumors discovered will decrease, and costs will plummet compared to those seen today. With the ability to diagnose small cancerous regions at only pennies per diagnosis and treatment, medicine will become more proactive than reactive, and allow for longer, happier lives in all levels of society.