One nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter. Or, in other words, about 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

The size relationship between a nanometer and a football corresponds to the size relationship between a football and the globe.

Nanotechnology means working with very small materials: less than 100 nanometers (nm).

When materials are converted to nano-form their physical, chemical and biological properties often are fundamentally modified and it is possible to tailor new products with special properties.

Some people believe that nanotechnology could lead to a new industrial revolution like the introduction of the steam engine, electricity and computer technology. However, since chemical substances change fundamentally when in nano size, the effects of these substances on human health and the environment may also change radically.