What you need to know about nanotechnologiesThe jargon buster

Atoms The tiny building blocks that everything is made of

Bioaccumulation Building up over time in the human body (or in plants and animals)

Bottom up Building larger objects from smaller building blocks - in nanotechnology these are atoms and molecules.

Bucky balls (buckminsterfullerene) Named after the architect Buckmeister Fuller, these molecules are made of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a series of hexagonal shapes to resemble a football-like shape.

Emulsion A mixture of two liquids that wouldn’t normally combine, like oil and water. Common examples include mayonnaise and emulsion paint. Combining the two liquids is called emulsification.

Fullerene A type of molecule made of carbon. It takes the form of a hollow sphere or tube (in which case it is a type of nanotube). They are found in certain cosmetic creams.

Microbe A miniscule type of living being, too small to be seen by the naked eye. Bacteria are types of microbe.

Molecule A group of at least two atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Nanoclay A type of material made using nanotechnologies.

Nanomedicine Any medicine using nanotechnologies.

Nanometre A unit of measurement. One millimetre = one million nanometres.

Nanoparticles Tiny particles of materials which can be natural or manufactured so that they are smaller than normal.

Nanoscale A very, very small scale that scientists are now able to work with. “Using the nanoscale” usually means working with particles no bigger than 100 nanometres wide.

Nanotechnologies/nanotechnology Any technology that uses the nanoscale.

Nanotube A nanoscale tube-like structure which can be found naturally in some minerals or be man-made from a variety of materials including carbon.