Branches of Chemistry

November 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Icon from Nuvola icon theme for KDE 3.x.
Image via Wikipedia

Chemistry is one of the three main branches of science. Chemistry studies the properties and composition of matter, and what types of changes matter undergoes. Matter is a generalized term, that means the substance that all physical objects are created from. Chemical reactions, also known as the changes of the substances that matter is made up of, is what chemists study. There are different branches of chemistry, depending on the type of matter that is being studied.

Analytical chemistry focuses on analyzing different substances. In analytical chemistry, there is the study to find out what type of substances are within a particular item or how much of the substance there might be.

Biochemists focus on the chemistry, as well as the biology of living organisms. Someone studying biochemistry will generally focus on studying molecular level chemical reactions in a living organism. Things like metabolism, respiration, digestion, and more are studied by biochemists.

One of the newer scientific areas of study is biotechnology. Biotechnologist codify or create genetic material, as well as organisms, for purposing of furthering science. Things like creating crops that are resistant to disease, as well as cloning projects, are done by biotechnologist.

Inorganic chemistry studies compounds and items that are inorganic, or not alive. For example, salt is an inorganic item that these chemists study. These scientists study the actual elements of the compound, see how they react to each other, and overall find out what these items are made of.

Organic chemistry studies carbon and how it works. Basically, they study living items, as well as other carbon based items. Organic chemists are depended on for many industries, including the pharmaceutical industry.

When specific chemical systems are studied, this is physical chemistry. The physical behaviors and properties of matter are studied in physical chemistry.

There are many fields of study in chemistry. People who enjoy how things react to each other may enjoy chemistry.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Chemistry, Science Tagged With: , ,

The Science of Making Wine at Home

October 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Wine grapes.
Image via Wikipedia

If you are looking for a fun way to play with science, making your own wine at home could be a great way for you to start. Understanding how chemistry works, and how the sugar and pH levels in your wine will make it vary, is an important part of wine making.

If you decide to make your own wine at home, first you will need to find the grapes that you want to use. Depending on the type of wine you are looking for, you may have a more difficult time finding your grapes. Head to a vineyard, and you may be able to get your grapes at a great price, and you will also be able to know that they are generally much better quality grapes than those you can get at the grocery store.

Both when you are looking at grapes, and once you start the wine process, there are a few tips you will need to keep in mind, when it comes to the chemistry of wine making. You will need to know the correct acidity, and how to get it with your wine. There are test kits that you can get that will help you measure both the juice of the grapes, and the wine itself, to find out the acidity.

You will also need to understand pH levels. The balance between the acidity and the pH are extremely important when making wine. The pH level is a huge influence in almost every biochemical reaction when you are creating this refreshing drink. You will probably want to have a pH meter while you are making your wine.

Knowing how much sugar is in your grapes is also extremely important. You will also need to make sure that you know if there is any of the sugar left, after the wine has fermented. There are also kits available to help measure the amount of sugar in the wine.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Chemistry, Science Tagged With: , ,

Basic Cell Structure

October 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Cells stained for keratin and DNA: such parts ...
Image via Wikipedia

When talking about cells in science, people are discussing the basics of what make up life. Cells make up all living things, as the smallest level. The cellular level of organisms is where processes occur to be able to keep each organism alive.

Many people do not fully understand what a cell is. At its most basic level, a cell is a sac of fluid that is surrounded by membranes. Organelles and chemicals float inside the fluid of cells. Though we know that there are structures smaller than cells, that in fact make up the cells, they are unable to function as the organism does. A cell, on the other hand can convert fuel to energy and get rid of waste, just as the organism that these cells make up can do. That is why cells are considered the lowest structural level of an organism. Cells themselves are living things, they do not only make up living things. Cells are a foundation for all bacteria, animals, and plants.

Cells need to reproduce. If they did not, the living things that they make up would cease to live. One of the interesting things about cells is exactly how they reproduce. They do this by dividing themselves. Cell division is the name of this process. It is the process of the cells not only diving themselves, but also replacing themselves.

There are two different major categories of cells; the eukaryotes and the prokaryotes. Eukaryotes store genetic information in their nucleus, they combine food and oxygen to make energy in a form that is usable, and they have a membrane which is internal. Prokaryotes, on the other hand, do not have “true” nuclei. They have a small amount of genetic material, but it tends to be much less organized. Prokaryotes are seen in blue-green algae and bacteria.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Chemistry, Science Tagged With: , ,

Chemistry in the Kitchen

October 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A cook sautees onions and peppers.
Image via Wikipedia

Many people may not realize that the basic skill of cooking is also all about chemistry. When you cook something, the end product is a result of chemical reactions in a series. Because of this, knowing a little bit about chemistry can help make a person a better cook. In fact, understanding the chemistry behind what you are doing can help you understand what went wrong with your last bad meal. With everything from how something may taste different before it’s cooked than after to why colors change when you add heat, is basic chemistry. For example, we can take a look at red cabbage. If you put it into a hot pan, you may notice that the color changes. The heat is actually breaking down the pigment and changing the makeup of the cabbage to an alkaline, rather than the acid that it started as. If you were to increase the acidity, by for example, adding vinegar to the cabbage, it would become red again!

If you have a fruit that you want to ripen quickly, put it in a paper bag along with an apple. The apple gives of ethylene gas, which has been shown to very quickly ripen other fruits when left in close proximity. Knowing little tricks of the trade like this can make your cooking that much better. Many people also feel a sense of accomplishment when they take the chemistry that they know and put it to real life use in the kitchen. Of course, we all mess up at times, and the meal you are trying to make may end up with a flop, but if you understand the chemistry behind what you are doing, you will understand why this happened, and what to do next time to fix it.

Using chemistry in the kitchen is one of the funnest, and yummiest ways to put your scientific knowledge to use.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Chemistry, Science Tagged With: , , ,