| A | B |
|---|
| hemoglobin | Oxygen-carrying protein in blood cells |
| holographic data-storage system (HDSS) | High-capacity data storage, using pages of data rather than lines of data. This type of memory has both high capacity and high transfer rates. |
| hybridization | The process of joining two complementary strands of DNA together to form a double-stranded molecule. |
| hydrodynamic focusing | Using the properties of laminar flow to pinch and create a narrow stream of fluid at the micro- and nano-scale. |
| hydrophilic | Water-loving" materials that are soluble in water. In a molecule, the part of the molecule that is attracted to water molecules. |
| hydrophobic | Water-fearing materials that do not dissolve in water. In a molecule, the part of the molecule that is repulsed by water molecules. |
| hysteresis | A property of magnetism: the magnetic effect doesn't disappear when an applied magnetic field is withdrawn. |
| impedance | The degree to which a wire resists the flow of electricity. |
| in vitro | Biological or medical experiments done outside the body, usually in a Petri dish. |
| in vivo | Biological or medical experiments done within a living subject. |
| lab-on-a-chip | Product that results from miniaturizing the processes of a lab (such as fluid analysis) into the space of a microchip. |
| laminar flow | Smooth and regular fluid flow. Opposite of turbulence. |
| laser | Acronym for "light amplification through stimulated emission of radiation." An intense, powerful. |
| liposome | A spherical vesicle composed of a phospholipids bilayer, used to deliver drugs or genetic material into a cell. |
| magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) | Random-access memory that's based on magnets instead of capacitors. This type of memory is fast and nonnon¬volatile (that is, it doesn't disappear when you turn off the power), and uses less energy. |
| magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) | A type of magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). |
| metallofullerene | : A metal atom caged in a fullerene |
| metrology | The study of measurements |
| micelles | Spherical micro-structures consisting of amphiphiles. |
| microelectromechanical system (MEMS) | A mechanical system or machine that exists at the micro-level. |
| microfluidics | The study of the behavior of fluids at volumes thousands of times smaller than in a common droplet. Fluid at this level is very viscous; water moves like honey. |
| molecular electronics | Using organic molecules instead of silicon to make much smaller, faster, energy-stingier computer processors and memory components. |
| molecule | Two or more atoms chemically bonded together. |
| multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) | Multiple carbon nanotubes within each other. |
| nano | Greek for "dwarf," meaning one billionth |
| Nanometer (nm) | One billionth of a meter |
| nanoshells | Gold-coated silica spheres which, when injected into the blood¬stream, attach themselves to cancer cells. The nanoshells are then illumi¬nated with a laser, giving off heat and killing the tumor cells. |
| nanotechnology | Technology development at the atomic and molecular range (1 nm to 100 nm) to create and use structures, devices, and systems that have novel properties because of their small size. |
| nanowire | Very small wires composed of either metals or semiconductors. |
| optical tweezers | A strongly focused laser beam used to grasp and move micro- and nano-size translucent particles. |
| organic molecules | Carbon-based molecules that make up the solid portions of living things, as well as certain materials such as plastics and oil. |
| organic surfaces | Surfaces that are non-metallic, such as skin, wood, or fabric. |
| oxidation | Chemically combining oxygen with another substance; fire and rust are two examples. |
| parallel processing | Simultaneous execution of the same task on multiple processors. Fast, nano-scale processors could make this technique possible on an unprecedented scale, as in the quantum computer. |
| pharmacogenetics | The study of how a patient's genetic make-up will affect his or her response to medicines. |
| phospholipids | Naturally occurring amphiphiles that make up human cell walls |
| photolithography | A computer-processor fabrication technique that uses light to expose a photosensitive film, resulting in the needed pattern of cir¬cuits at a much smaller scale. |
| photon | A particle that is a packet of light. |
| photonic band gap | A band gap that corresponds to a specific wavelength of light used in photonic crystals. Photons that have this particular wavelength have to travel within this photonic band gap, restricted from the surrounding material. Useful for diverting light at the molecular level. |
| photonic crystal | A "light insulator" - materials that control how much (or what kind of) light is allowed to pass through the nanocrystal. |
| photonics | The science of manipulating photons |
| photoresist | A substance that becomes soluble when exposed to light. Used in photolithography. |
| piezoelectric transducer (PZT) | A material that expands and contracts according to the amount of electric current that travels through it. |
| plasma | A gas made of charged particles. An example of naturally occurring plasma is lightning. You may have seen plasma lamps, glass globes with sparks shooting around inside. |
| polymers | Plastic - large molecules made from many smaller molecules usu¬ally composed of carbon atoms bonded in long chains. |
| quantum computer | A computer that exploits the quantum mechanical nature of particles such as electrons or atomic nuclei, to manipulate informa¬tion as quantum sized bits (qubit). This quantum computer will be able to perform quick operations in parallel solving problems that can't be solved with today's computer (for example, factoring large numbers). |
| quantum cryptography | Cryptography scheme that relies on quantum mechanics to ensure accurate key exchange and prevent eavesdropping. |
| quantum dot | A semiconductor nanocrystal that exhibits quantum behavior in optical or electrical processes. |
| quantum mechanics | In physics, a theory that describes physical interac¬tions between atoms more accurately than classical physics, often with results that seem strange from an everyday frame of reference. |
| quantum tunneling | A quantum-mechanical effect of transitioning through a state that classical physics would forbid. An analogy is throwing a ball at a wall and having it appear on the other side. |
| quantum | In atomic physics, a discrete and basic unit, similar to the way an individual electron is the basic unit of electricity. Plural form is quanta. |
| qubit | Quantum bit - smallest unit in quantum computing. |
