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What is silicone? Is it the same as silicon? The answer is no, but they are related. Silicones contain silicon as a primary atom in their structure. The recent public debate about the use of silicones in medical devices and recent scientific and medical literature highlights the confusion surrounding the meaning of these terms and how they are related. Published research describing the presence of silicone in terms of measured silicon in a variety of samples such as biopsies and urine can also be difficult to follow. A fundamental understanding of a few definitions can help clinicians and researchers in interpreting and clearly communicating technical information to patients and the public. The definitions and illustrations that follow can be used to achieve this objective. The review that follows is provided in the context of medical applications. More complete information concerning silicon, silicas and the chemistry of silicones are available (Iler R. K. The Chemistry of Silica: Solubility, Polymerization Colloid and Surface Properties, and Biochemistry. New York: Wiley; 1979 [1]; Eborn C. Organosilicon Compounds. London: Butterworth; 1960 [2]).