The field of atom optics has enjoyed a surge of interest in recent years because of the production of microstructures sufficiently fine to diffract atomic beams through significant angles, and the development of tunable narrow-linewidth lasers that can be used to manipulate atomic beams using light forces. Here I consider a range of techniques to realize optical elements for atoms. In addition, some applications of atom optics are discussed. These include atom interferometry and its application to precision measurement, atom surface studies and atom lithography.