Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea

Molecular Motors

Within large biological structures such as individual cells, different components have to move. Sometimes molecules and ions and even larger biological structures move by simply diffusing. Some examples include the motion of neurotransmitters in the brain and of ions through ion channels in the outer membrane of the cell. As molecular species get larger, their diffusion becomes less efficient, and so nature has developed a series of special mechanisms to move them within the cell. One of the most fascinating of these is the molecular motor.

Molecular motors were discovered during the study of one of the energy-generating functions of the body called sodium/potassium ATPase. This is a complex enzyme that is responsible for producing ...