With reference to carbon nanotubes, consider the following statements:
- They can be used as carriers of drugs and antigens in the human body.
- They can be made into artificial blood capillaries for an injured part of human body.
- They can be used in biochemical sensors.
- Carbon nanotubes are biodegradable.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
1 and 2 only
2, 3 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2020
Statement 2: CNTs possess high strength and unique electrical properties, making them candidates for use in biomaterials. Research is ongoing to explore their potential in tissue engineering, including creating scaffolds or artificial structures that could mimic biological tissues like blood capillaries. Correct.
Statement 3: CNTs exhibit changes in electrical conductivity upon binding with specific molecules. This property makes them excellent candidates for use in highly sensitive biochemical sensors for detecting various substances, including biomarkers, pathogens, and environmental pollutants. Correct.
Statement 4: While pristine carbon nanotubes are generally considered poorly biodegradable and their persistence in the body or environment is a concern, significant research efforts are focused on modifying or functionalizing CNTs to make them biodegradable for biomedical and environmental applications. Some types of functionalized CNTs have shown evidence of enzymatic or cellular degradation. Therefore, depending on the specific type and context, biodegradability can be considered a relevant property or a goal being actively pursued and achieved in specific cases, leading to this statement being considered correct in a broad sense.