## 2 What Is IoNT?
### Architecture of IoNT  
Having established some context for the IoNT domain, we now turn to a brief discussion of the components that go into making up the IoNT's architecture. To facilitate communication and data sharing at the nanoscale, the architecture of the IoNT is more involved with a wide range of technologies and protocols and is more complicated than that of the IoT [12]. Key components of the IoNT architecture include:  
* Nanosensors and actuators  
These are the primary building blocks of the IoNT; they can detect and measure various physical, chemical, and biological parameters, as well as perform actions based on this information. Examples of nanosensors and actuators include nanorobots, nanosensors, and nanocatalysts [1,4,7];  
* Communication protocols  
To enable communication between nanoscale devices, the IoNT relies on a range of communication protocols such as wireless communication technologies (e.g., radio-frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth, near field communication (N.F.C.)) and wired communication technologies (e.g., nanowires, nanotubes) [1,4,7]. These technologies allow nanoscale devices to transmit and receive data over short distances;  
* Data processing and storage  
To process and store the large amounts of data generated by the IoNT, specialized data processing and storage technologies are required [5, 6, 7, 8]. These technologies may include nanoscale memory devices, such as nanocapacitor-based memory, and nanoscale computing devices, such as quantum computing devices or molecular computing devices [1,4];  
* Network Infrastructure  
The IoNT relies on a network infrastructure that includes routers, switches, and other networking devices to enable communication between nanoscale devices and other devices on the Internet [8, 9, 10]. This infrastructure may include both traditional networking technologies and specialized technologies designed for the nanoscale. Having provided an overview of essential components in the IoNT architecture, next we looked into the architecture of a single nanomachine as the foundation for more complex IoNT solutions. The following components make up a nanomachine:  
* Control unit  
The control unit regulates all other nanomachine components and is responsible for acquiring environmental data [5,6,18];  
* Communication unit  
The communication unit is responsible for sending and accepting data at the nanoscale [5,6,18];  
* Reproduction Unit  
The reproduction unit creates each component of the nanomachine using external components and assembles them to produce the nanomachine [5,6,18]. Overall, the architecture of the IoNT is complex and involves a wide range of technologies and protocols that enable communication and data exchange at the nanoscale. As the field of nanotechnology continues to advance, the capabilities of the IoNT are likely to expand, leading to a wide range of potential applications in many domains. Interconnecting nanomachines with current communication networks and, eventually, with the Internet, necessitates the creation of novel network architectures, which would depend on the application context. Having provided a brief overview of key components of IoNT architecture, next, we highlight the pervasive IoNT network architecture in the context of a smart home and an intrabody nanonetwork in healthcare. The IoNT architecture of a smart home is depicted in Figure 1.  
As shown in Figure 1, all components in the smart home environment have a nano-transceiver that allows them to be permanently linked to the Internet [1; 4; 7]. A tenant can easily keep track of the status of components in the home through this continuous Internet connectivity. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, in the context of an intrabody network, nanomachines are deployed inside the human body and remotely controlled at the macroscale over the Internet by relevant experts such as medical staff or healthcare service providers [1].