Humanity would have been very different without all the great discoveries that have been made in chemistry, even before this natural science was defined and baptized with this name.
Before its “invention,” human beings were familiar with certain chemical reactions and processes of this nature, including fire, but we attribute a magical origin to them, a vision shared by the most direct antecedent of modern chemistry, alchemy.
It has already been a long time since chemistry became a real science, being applied in countless areas and giving rise to various subdisciplines. Today we are going to know what they are the most important branches of chemistry
The history of humanity is closely linked to how Chemistry has developed and the countless discoveries that have been made in this discipline. Progress in this science has always brought with it great technological, social and cultural advances which have originated society as we know it today.
The development of nuclear chemistry, the use of fossil fuels, the creation of drugs are a few significant chemical discoveries for our society, although probably the greatest chemical discovery has been fire.
Although human beings have been trying to understand how matter interacts with each other in the form of reactions for 800,000 years, it is worth noting that Chemistry, as an official science, emerged in 1661 thanks to a book published by Robert Boyle titled “The skeptical chemist: or the doubts and chemo-physical paradoxes”. Since then This discipline has been greatly expanding its knowledge, having applications for absolutely everything we can imagine : plastics, vaccines, construction, medicine and pharmacy, water purification…
As there are so many applications of science that studies the composition, structure and properties of matter, this has made it necessary to divide Chemistry into several branches, each of them focused on a specific aspect and application of knowledge of matter and its interactions. between substances. The following sections are the 30 most notable branches of chemistry.
1. Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is the branch that unites chemistry with biology This branch studies compounds with carbon atoms, which is what determines the existence of organic matter. Organic chemistry allows us to know the chemical composition of organisms and understand the nature of the chemical reactions that occur inside living beings. Carbohydrates, fatty acids, proteins and vitamins, among other carbon-based molecules, are the subject of study in organic chemistry.
Inorganic chemistry could be understood as the branch of chemistry antagonistic to organic chemistry This branch studies all substances that do not contain carbon among their main components or that are not part of life, as is the case of most minerals and metals. In other words, inorganic chemistry studies all matter that is not alive or that does not come from something that has been alive.
3. Biochemistry
Biochemistry is closely related to organic chemistry, since both disciplines combine aspects of chemistry with those of biology. This branch of Chemistry is responsible for studying the nature of the chemical reactions that occur inside living organisms In its particular case, it focuses on knowing the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which metabolism takes place.
4. Analytical chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the discipline that, through the use of detection methods and procedures, both chemical and physical, analyzes the composition of different compounds that can be found in nature This branch of chemistry allows us to know what the components of any substance are.
5. Pharmaceutical chemistry
Pharmaceutical chemistry is the branch that allows the development of medicinal substances thanks to the deep knowledge of physiological actions that occur when certain molecules interact in our body. Thanks to pharmaceutical chemistry we have drugs, medications, vaccines and other substances designed with the purpose of preventing or treating diseases.
6. Medicinal chemistry
Medicinal chemistry is closely related to pharmaceuticals. This discipline It is based on the administration of certain chemical substances to treat and cure diseases It differs from pharmaceuticals in the fact that it does not focus so much on prevention, but rather directly on treating and relieving the symptoms associated with a medical condition.
Furthermore, although medications are the first option, this branch also studies the possibility of prescribing certain drugs if they have proven therapeutic power (for example, medicinal cannabis).
7. Food chemistry
The chemistry of food It is the discipline that allows us to find applications of chemistry within the food industry
This branch is responsible for both the development of substances to prevent the deterioration of food and the creation of substances that can enhance flavors, which is why food chemistry has a very great importance in the food industry.
8. Industrial chemistry
Industrial chemistry is the discipline that studies how we can convert matter into products that can be beneficial to society
This branch of chemistry seeks a way to convert a raw material into a new one that has some type of use. There are many applications that industrial chemistry has in our society and absolutely all industries in the world are based on this discipline.
9. Physicochemistry
Physical chemistry, as its name indicates, is a discipline that combines knowledge from physics and chemistry This branch is responsible for studying the processes by which these two sciences intermingle, since there are chemical processes in which physical processes also occur. Thermodynamics and electrical processes, to give a few examples, are objects of study in this discipline.
astrochemistry It is the scientific discipline that is responsible for studying the reactions that occur in celestial bodies This branch of chemistry is responsible for analyzing the chemical properties that planets, comets, asteroids, stars, galaxies, the vacuum of space are believed to have…
11. Photochemistry
Photochemistry is the chemical branch that studies the interactions between atoms that produce light phenomena, as well as the rest of electromagnetic radiation It basically relates chemistry to the study of light energy.
12. Geochemistry
Geochemistry is the chemical discipline that studies the composition and interactions that occur between the minerals of our planet It can be considered as a branch within inorganic chemistry.
13. Nanochemistry
nanochemistry It is the discipline of chemistry responsible for the development and study of very small objects, of nanoscopic dimensions It is a very promising science, because in a future that is expected to be not too distant it will begin to have an enormous impact on fields such as technology and medicine.
14. Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the discipline that studies the relationship between electricity and chemistry It is responsible for analyzing how chemical reactions can produce electrical phenomena and, also, how electrical energy can initiate chemical reactions.
15. Nuclear chemistry
Nuclear chemistry studies the reactions that occur inside the nucleus of atoms It studies both the reactions that occur naturally, such as fusions that occur inside stars, and those induced artificially, such as fissions and fusions to obtain energy typical of nuclear power plants.
16. Petrochemical
Petrochemistry is the chemical branch that studies what transformations are necessary to convert hydrocarbons such as oil, coal or natural gas (fossil fuels), in fuels or products such as plastic.
17. Theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry is an umbrella term to refer to set of disciplines that seek to predict chemical phenomena from a purely theoretical point, that is, without resorting to experimental means
These branches use mathematical models and estimates and physical laws to explain chemical processes that cannot be demonstrated experimentally with the means currently available.
18. Computational chemistry
Computational chemistry is a curious branch of chemistry. As its name suggests, it is very close to programming and, in fact, seeks to develop computer programs capable of solving chemical problems posed by the theoretical branches of chemistry.
19. Quantum chemistry
Quantum chemistry is a branch that we can include within theoretical chemistry. This is responsible for predicting the chemical interactions that are established in the quantum world, at the level of subatomic particles such as electrons, neutrons, protons, quarks, gluons, hadrons…
20. Environmental chemistry
environmental chemistry focuses on the impact of chemical compounds on nature both those that impact naturally and those that have been dumped by human beings.
Magnetochemistry is the chemical discipline that studies the properties of substances with magnetic force a, in addition to looking for applications based not only on this magnetism but also taking advantage of its electrical and optical properties.
22. Neurochemistry
Neurochemistry is a branch included within biochemistry This discipline focuses on studying the chemical reactions that occur in our nervous system, especially in the central one. Thus, neurochemistry studies and analyzes the properties and effects of neurotransmitters, hormones and drugs in our brain.
23. Green chemistry
Green chemistry is the science that focuses on the development of chemical substances and using them in processes that are focused on eliminating other substances that are harmful to ecosystems. That is, green chemistry is the chemical branch that is responsible for correcting environmental pollution.
24. Marine chemistry
marine chemistry studies the chemical composition of any large mass of salt water, in other words, seas and oceans
It is also responsible for analyzing the impact humanity has on the ocean world, and seeks to find ways to conserve and maintain the oceans and seas so that they can continue to be ideal places for marine life to continue living.
25. Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the discipline that focuses on the study of the composition and properties of all substances that have at least one carbon atom and one metallic atom
26. Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the branch that studies the chemical properties that determine whether an object emits one type or another of radiation. You have to understand that All matter emits, in one way or another, electromagnetic radiation , which can be in the form of visible light or radiation such as X-rays, gamma rays, and infrared rays. Spectroscopy’s object of study is the analysis and measurement of this type of radiation.
27. Polymer Chemistry
Polymer chemistry studies how polymers can be created from the union of their components, the monomers This discipline analyzes the way in which complex molecules are formed from simpler ones, something that can have many applications in both the industrial and biomedical world, since proteins are a biological example of molecules formed by the union of monomers, in your case amino acids.
28. Macromolecular chemistry
Macromolecular chemistry studies the composition and properties of macromolecules These molecules are the union of several molecules and, as a consequence, are large in size. Some molecules that are the subject of study of macromolecular chemistry are carbohydrates, proteins, artificial polymers, fats and plastics.
Related article: “Molecular kinetic theory: the 3 states of matter”
29. Supramolecular chemistry
Supramolecular chemistry is the chemical discipline that studies the interactions that occur between molecules , especially when it comes to molecular bonds. This branch of Chemistry allows us to know what the bases are for synthesizing artificial macromolecules.
30. Preparative chemistry
Preparative chemistry is the most applicable branch of Chemistry, as it is responsible for the study of the laboratory procedures necessary to both purify and prepare substances
