Molecular machine

A Molecular machine, or nanomachine (pronounced: mo-le-cu-lar ma-chine), is a group of molecular components that produce quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input).

Etymology

The term "molecular machine" was coined in the late 20th century, derived from the words "molecule", from the Latin molecula meaning 'small mass', and "machine", from the Latin machina meaning 'a contrivance'.

Definition

A molecular machine is a minute mechanism consisting of molecular components that perform mechanical-like movements as a result of receiving a stimulus. These machines are the smallest possible man-made machines and are at the forefront of nanotechnology.

Types of Molecular Machines

There are several types of molecular machines, including:

Protein machines: These are large, multi-protein complexes that perform a wide variety of functions within the cell.
Synthetic molecular machines: These are man-made molecules that mimic the behavior of their biological counterparts.
DNA machines: These are machines made from DNA molecules, and they can perform tasks such as walking along a surface or sorting molecules.

Applications

Molecular machines have a wide range of applications, including in medicine, where they can be used for targeted drug delivery, and in nanotechnology, where they can be used to construct nanoscale devices and materials.

Related Terms

Molecular motor: A type of molecular machine that converts chemical energy into motion.
Nanorobotics: The technology of creating machines or robots at or close to the microscopic scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters).
Nanomedicine: The medical application of nanotechnology and related research.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Molecular machine
Wikipedia's article - Molecular machine

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Molecular machine