Gold nanorods is a capsule-shaped gold nanoparticles. Gold nanorods give rise to two absorption peaks corresponding to their plasmonic modes, transverse mode and longitudinal mode, corresponding to light absorption and scattering along the short and long axis, respectively. The longitudinal surface plasmon resonance can be tuned by adjusting their aspect ratio from the visible to the NIR region and extremely sensitive to changes in the dielectric properties of the surroundings including solvents, adsorbates, and the interparticle distance of the gold nanorods. This unique optical property of gold nanorods opens up fascinating applications in biological and chemical sensors. Optical properties and biomedical application of gold nanorods are introduced, and its future research prospects are discussed.