Biological responses to nanoscale particles

Nanoscale particles are known to exhibit novel and unprecedented properties that make them quite different from their corresponding bulk-scale materials. The key differences are (i) an increased relative surface area and (ii) quantum size effects. Since the growth, catalytic activity and the various interactions with molecules (including biomolecules) occur at the surface of nanoparticles, a given mass of material in nanoparticle form will be much more reactive than the same mass of bulk material. As the properties of nanoscale materials become better understood and our ability to control these properties is further advanced, an enormous potential to create materials with novel properties and applications emerges. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are set to revolutionize many fields of science.