Chemistry is a natural science that studies matter, its properties, and the changes it undergoes. It is a fundamental discipline that has contributed to the development of other scientific fields such as biology, physics, and geology. The five main branches of chemistry are organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry .
Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and its compounds. It is the study of the chemistry of life and reactions occurring in living organisms. An organic chemist might study organic reactions, the structure and properties of organic molecules, polymers, drugs, or fuels .
Inorganic chemistry is the study of compounds not covered by organic chemistry. It is the study of inorganic compounds, or compounds that don’t contain a C-H bond. A few inorganic compounds do contain carbon, but most contain metals. Topics of interest to inorganic chemists include ionic compounds, organometallic compounds, minerals, cluster compounds, and solid-state compounds .
Analytical chemistry is the study of the chemistry of matter and the development of tools to measure properties of matter. Analytical chemistry includes quantitative and qualitative analysis, separations, extractions, distillation, spectrometry and spectroscopy, chromatography, and electrophoresis. Analytical chemists develop standards, chemical methods, and instrumental methods .
Physical chemistry is the branch of chemistry that applies physics to the study of chemistry, which commonly includes the applications of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics to chemistry. Physical chemists study the physical properties of matter, including the behavior of atoms and molecules, the nature of chemical bonds, phase transitions, and the rates of chemical reactions .
Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes that occur inside of living organisms. Examples of key molecules include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, drugs, and neurotransmitters. Sometimes this discipline is considered a subdiscipline of organic chemistry. Biochemistry is closely related to molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics .
Chemistry is a vast field with many subdivisions within each major discipline. It is a field that has contributed to the development of many scientific fields and has practical applications in many industries.
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