Where is nanoscale material found?
If scientists can create artificial spider silk economically, the superstrong, | lightweight materials could be used in sports helmets, armor, tethers and other products. Nanoscale materials and effects are found in nature all around us. Nature’s secrets for building from the nanoscale create processes and machinery that scientists hope to imitate. Researchers already have copied the nanostructure of lotus leaves to create water repellent surfaces used today to make stain-proof clothing, other fabrics, and materials. Others are trying to imitate the strength and flexibility of spider silk, which is naturally reinforced by nanoscale crystals. Many important functions of living organisms take place at the nanoscale. Our bodies and those of all animals use natural nanoscale materials, such as proteins and other molecules, to control our bodies many systems and processes. A typical protein such as hemoglobin, which carries oxygen through the bloodstream, is 5 nanometers, or 5 billionths of
