The 5 branches of Chemistry (and what each one studies)

As surprising as terrestrial biodiversity is, in the end all living things are cut from the same biological pattern. Living matter is made up of 25-30 chemical elements, but 96% of the mass of most cells is made up of only six of them: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P ).

Furthermore, the genetic code is universal and invariable for everyone. A chromosome contains in its structure a series of genes, which in turn are composed of DNA chains in a double helix arrangement that present a series of ordered nucleotides. These nucleotides are "copied" in the form of messenger RNA (transcription) and the chain travels to the ribosomes, where the instructions in the assembly of a protein are translated. Each nucleotide "phrase" or codon is constant and invariable, or what is the same, a codon always codes for an amino acid.

All this information that we have given you is not anecdotal, as this knowledge has been achieved thanks to the study of living beings and the environment from a structural point of view. From the composition of the atmosphere to the conformation of DNA,

everything around us is chemical on a material level. With these interesting ideas in mind, today we show you the 5 branches of chemistry and their most important utilities.

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What is chemistry and what disciplines is it divided into?

Chemistry is the branch of science that studies the structure, composition and properties of matter, in addition to the variations it experiences during chemical reactions and energy exchanges in the intermediate steps. From a more utilitarian point of view, this discipline could be defined as the set of knowledge that one has about the preparation, properties and transformations of a body.

In any case, chemistry is not only the description of the different chemical elements and their presence, conformation in organic and inorganic media and their changes of state. The simple fact of ingesting a food, metabolizing it and excreting it is already chemical, since constant changes are taking place in a body and the final product reports (or consumes) energy. In other words, everything is chemistry, and without chemistry life cannot be explained. Next, we show you the 5 branches of this general discipline.

1. Inorganic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that focuses his area of ​​study on the formation, classification, composition and reactions that give rise to inorganic compounds. Since carbon is the classic representative of living matter throughout the world, compounds inorganic will be those in which carbon does not predominate (or in which there are no carbon-hydrogen).

This branch of chemistry is responsible for the comprehensive study of all the elements of the periodic table and their compounds, except for hydrocarbons and most of their derivatives. In any case, the boundaries between inorganic and organic are sometimes somewhat blurred, and divisions such as organometallic chemistry (in between) are a clear example of this. The properties of ions and their interaction and redox-type reactions are fields of the biochemical domain.

Even so, inorganic chemistry is of vital importance to society, since 8 of the top 10 chemical industries by tonnage are inorganic. From the construction of a semiconductor to the synthesis of materials and drugs, inorganic chemistry has been one of the engines that has propelled humans into today's society.

2. Organic chemistry

For its part, organic chemistry is what studies the nature and reactions of carbon-containing molecules forming covalent bondsCarbon, hydrogen (C-H), carbon-carbon (C-C) and other heteroatoms (any atom except carbon and hydrogen that is or once was part of living tissue). Although carbon only represents 18% of the total human body due to the high amounts of water, it can be said that this element is the basis of life.

Within this branch of study, special attention is paid to the structure, analysis and utilitarian study of substances. such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, which make up the bulk of our diet (macronutrients) and of our own existence. Without organic chemistry, DNA or RNA could not have been described, nucleic acids responsible for inheritance through genetic transmission and protein synthesis in the environment mobile.

3. Biochemistry

Biochemistry may resemble organic chemistry at first, but it has some differences. While organic chemistry is responsible for describing carbon-rich compounds that are necessary for life, biochemistry contextualizes them in the set of functional systems that make up a living being. In other words, beyond formulating a carbohydrate (CH2O) n, this branch is in charge of discovering the processes metabolic, intermediate metabolites and energy dances that take place when this compound enters the organism.

This biological discipline is based on the study of the chemical composition of living beings (biomolecules), the relationships that are established between them (interactions), the transformations they undergo within a living system (metabolism) and the regulation of all the processes that involve their modification (study physiological). Biochemistry relies on the scientific method and, therefore, proves or refutes its hypotheses with the help of in vivo or in vitro experiments.

4. Analytic chemistry

Analytical chemistry has a much more practical approach, as its main concern is separate, identify and quantify matter, usually for industrial and production purposes. This includes processes such as precipitation, extraction or distillation, among others. On a smaller scale, techniques such as agarose gel electrophoresis, chromatography or field flow fractionation for the separation of proteins or DNA sections, among others things.

In other words, this is the branch of science that, starting from scratch, allows us to analyze a substance, known as "analyte". The goal is not to formulate the analyte or describe it at an elemental level (as this is done by other disciplines), but its properties, such as pH, absorbance or concentration. Analytical chemistry has both a qualitative approach (amounts of chemical constituents particulars present in a substance) and quantitative (presence-absence of a compound in a mix).

5. Industrial Chemistry

In the end, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry converge at the same point at the utilitarian level: industrial chemistry. All the knowledge obtained in each of the aforementioned disciplines is applied to the production mechanisms, with the main idea of maximize effectiveness, minimize energy loss, increase compound reuse and lower costs. In any case, it must always be borne in mind that the chemical products treaty must follow a maxim beyond effectiveness: respect the environment.

Industrial chemistry is everywhere, since at least in high-income countries, without industry there is no society. Textile design, cosmetics and fragrances, pharmaceuticals, car manufacturing, water treatment, food and beverage production and regulation are a direct product of chemistry industrial.

Resume

As you may have seen, chemistry is the basis of life and societyWithout it, there is no carbohydrate metabolism, but neither does the car that takes us to work every day. The reactions between substances suppose a release or absorption of energy, and knowing the interactions between the elements, the human being has been able to transcend beyond its own limitations biological.

In short, everything that we are and surrounds us is chemistry, since the elements are in constant interaction and change. This is why the aforementioned disciplines are so important: by knowing the environment that surrounds us, we can take advantage of it and try to keep ourselves in a balanced way in harmony with the environment (at least in theory).