How do nanites get the resources that they need?
I've been mulling over the idea of nanites (microscopic machines that perform work - usually to transform one material into another). I've come to the conclusion that at a macroscopic level, nanites ought to operate as we see microbial life operating.
Whether the nanite is actually coopted microbial life (e.g. bacteria reprogrammed to do something we want) or just operates like it, is irrelevant for my question.
The nanite will need an energy source (already answered in another question) and the necessary nutrients (chemical inputs). It would probably help the nanites to be suspended in some sort of working fluid (e.g. water) too.
As the nanites work, they'll use up certain elements or chemicals that are required to do their job. In order to finish their job, they'll need those chemicals constantly replaced.
How do you replenish the materials used by nanites when they're doing something?
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