The 6 main branches of the natural sciences

How we breathe or how our heart beats, how the force of gravity works, what is lightning, what is water made of... these are aspects that have often captivated the human being and have led him to try to find an explanation.

This has led to the emergence of a large number of ideas in this regard, and that after the appearance of science different disciplines have been interested in answering the different questions that are pose.

Throughout this article let's see what are the branches of natural sciences, one of the most important scientific fields.

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Natural Science

In science there are multiple objects of study and a great variety of disciplines that are dedicated to studying them. The variety is so great that classifications have often been made on it. The best known and probably one of the simplest (and to some extent arbitrary), is the one that divides the natural and social sciences.

With regard to the former, we can find that those branches that are in charge of studying the natural world, its composition and functioning are part of this group. For example, all the above examples are studied by different branches of the natural sciences.

Talking about natural sciences is talking about the type of questions that humans have been asking themselves on the universe since the dawn of time, being probably the oldest of all Sciences.

The natural sciences are all that set of scientific disciplines that have as a common characteristic the fact that have as object of study the natural (material) world and the phenomena that occur in it.

They also have in common that it is generally the type of science that has focused the most on seeking an explanation. away from subjectivity and based on evidence, as well as those most related to the mathematical field and logic.

This helps because, in general, its object of study is directly visible or perceptible (something that in the case of the social sciences is much more complex to achieve, which is why they have always been seen as more subjective).

Within the natural sciences we can find a great diversity of disciplines referring to a great diversity of aspects of the natural world.

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The main branches of the natural sciences

Below we show some of the most relevant disciplines that make up the branches of natural sciences.

1. Physical

Being one of the fundamental basic sciences, physics is one of the most well-known branches of the natural sciences, which is dedicated to the study of the properties of matter and energy, as well as the laws that govern them and the interactions they maintain with each other.

Physics is one of the oldest natural sciences and one of the first sciences to be considered as such. Although it has a very extensive body of theory, it is a science that is not limited to mere theory but has great applicability in a wide variety of fields.

In fact, from her many other sub-disciplines arise such as mechanics, thermodynamics, optics, electromagnetism or acoustics, or it can even be linked to other sciences as in the case of biophysics or astrophysics, for example. Aspects such as space and time are also valued, and even investigates how they work.

2. Chemistry

One of the main branches of the natural sciences is that of chemistry, which has as its object of study the composition and structure of matter (be it organic or inorganic), as well as its properties and the interactions between the different types of existing matter.

Chemistry has made it possible to develop a large number of useful elements for life and survival, including, among others, the development of pharmacology.

3. geology

Partly related to the previous sciences, geology is one of the branches of natural sciences that is less often thought about but that are very useful for humans.

Study the Earth and its origin, composition, structure and evolution throughout history. Thanks to it we can analyze the soils, the behavior of the interior of the Earth or the movement of the plates tectonic, something that facilitates the practice of constructions or agriculture or allows us to prevent disasters such as earthquakes.

4. Astronomy

Astronomy is another of the great scientific disciplines within the natural sciences. In this case the object of study is none other than the cosmos, its structure and composition, its behavior and movements.

It is deeply related to physics, and can in fact be considered a specialized derivation of it.

5. biology

Biology is one of the most relevant scientific disciplines and is among those that generally have the most perceptible object of study: living beings, their structure, their functioning and vital processes through which they pass.

Within this macroscience we can find different specializations or sub-branches, such as zoology (animals), ecology (natural systems), molecular biology (cells and molecules), botany (plants), microbiology (bacteria and viruses) or mycology (mushrooms). We could also consider that the anatomy would be part of it.

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6. Medicine and health sciences

One of the branches of the natural sciences that has had the greatest utility for humanity and its direct survival is medicine, through which it is studied the human body, its healthy functioning and possible pathologies or injuries that can suffer in order to allow us to survive and maintain the health of the population.

Within medicine there are also a large number of branches, including cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, psychiatry or obstetrics among many others.

Now, there are other health-related sciences. Examples of this are nursing, clinical psychology or pharmacology, in addition to veterinary medicine. However, both medicine and all health sciences are considered partly natural and partly social, although they are generally more closely related to natural ones. In the case of psychology, depending on the specific branch it will be one or the other.

Bibliographic references:

• Barr, S. M. (2006). A Students Guide to Natural Science. Wilmington, DE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
• Oglivie, B. W. (2008). The Science of Describing: Natural History in Renaissance Europe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.