What Does Branches of Chemistry Mean
We explain what the branches of chemistry are and the characteristics of each one. Also, other subdisciplines of chemistry.
What are the branches of chemistry?
The chemistry is the science devoted to the study of the subject , its compositional elements ( atoms , molecules ) and the reactions between them. This implies an immense field of knowledge, with infinite applications and links with other scientific disciplines such as physics , biology , geography and medicine, among many others.
Chemistry is conventionally subdivided into six main branches or sub-disciplines of chemistry:
- Inorganic chemistry . It is dedicated to the study of matter from the point of view of its electrical, magnetic and optical properties, taking into account all the atoms of the periodic table , but particularly those that form compounds such as acids, bases , salts and ions and also metals .
- Organic chemistry . It is dedicated to the study of organic matter , that is, that which has carbon and hydrogen asfundamental elements , and which form long chains with unique properties. These compounds are also particularly important for the chemistry of living things .
- Biochemistry . It is dedicated to the study of the substances that make up living beings, as well as the reactions that take place within them. It has borders in common with medicine, genetics and neurology, among other fields of biological knowledge. Therefore, it is considered a point of contact between chemistry and biology: the chemistry of life.
- Physical or physicochemical chemistry. It is dedicated to the study of the physical bases of processes and physical foundations, that is, it studies matter from a point of view that is both physical and chemical, as its name indicates. His main areas of study include chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry, spectroscopy and other specialties that are the result of the cross between physics and chemistry.
- Industrial Chemistry. It is dedicated to the study of industrial chemical production methods, that is, to produce chemical substances in large quantities, and thus understand how these production methods can be made more efficient, less polluting and more economically profitable. This branch is particularly useful for researching and developing new materials.
- Analytical chemistry . It is dedicated to the study of the methods of detection of chemical substances from different types of samples. This detection can consist of the identification (knowing what substance it is, and therefore, naming it) or the quantification (knowing in what proportions the substance is in the sample) of an element or a certain chemical compound.
See also: Natural sciences
Other Subdisciplines of Chemistry
In addition to the six main branches of chemistry, there are a good number of sub-disciplines that emerged from the contact of chemistry with other fields of knowledge, such as:
- Astrochemistry. It arises from the combination of knowledge between chemistry and astronomy , it is dedicated to the study of the composition of stellar matter, that is, of celestial bodies and large clouds of space matter.
- Nanochemistry. Born from the incorporation of nanotechnology into the field of chemistry, it explores how to build molecular machines capable of altering matter in revolutionary ways.
- Geochemistry . It is the result of the union of the field of chemistry and geology , it consists of the study of the composition of the crust of our planet and its deep minerals.
- Petrochemistry. It consists of the application of chemistry to the petroleum sciences , to study this material in depth and take advantage of its possibilities as an energy source or source of other substances.
- Nuclear chemistry. It consists of the study of the atomic nuclei of the different elements known to humans , for energy and other purposes.
- Environmental chemistry. It is a branch of chemistry that focuses its interest on the composition of the Earth and the chemical changes that take place on it, especially with regard to human activities.
- Toxicological chemistry. Hand in hand with pharmacology, this branch of chemistry studies the toxicity of different known chemical compounds and tries to find ways to mitigate their effects and prevent poisoning.
- Computational chemistry. Use computer software to simulate chemical processes. It is used to complement the results of experiments done in laboratories. It is also used to predict properties and results of compounds and chemical phenomena , being able to reduce the costs of experiments.
- Theoretical chemistry. It is used to predict chemical reactions using physical and mathematical equations.
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