ABSTRACT
The detailed mechanisms whereby nanoparticles (NPs) may interact with target cells and how this can inuence cell reactions are still poorly understood. The principal interaction of NPs with a biological environment occurs at the cellular level through their interaction with structural and functional cell compartments (e.g., nucleus and organelles) (Muhlfeld et al. 2008b). For clarity within this chapter, NPs are dened as a nano-object (a material with one, two, or three external dimensions in the nanoscale, 1-100 nm) with all three external dimensions in the nanoscale (ISO Report 2008). The aim of this chapter is to discuss, on the basis of existing literature, the potential uptake mechanism of NPs into cells as well as their possible interaction with intracellular compartments.
