The Field Chemistry occupies the central position among the sciences. Most phenomena in the biological and physical worlds which constitute our environment are ultimately explained in terms of the physical and chemical processes of molecules and atoms. The field, itself, is uncommonly broad, encompassing a number of sub-disciplines, among which are physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biological chemistry, and analytical chemistry. Working within these subdisciplines are chemists in such diverse areas as environmental chemistry, medicinal chemistry, neurochemistry, polymer chemistry, materials chemistry, and photobiology. A chemist may decide to specialize in one or more of the subdisciplines in order to pursue a particular interest.
Chemists can pursue their work on purely theoretical grounds, or on an experimental basis.
An example of the former might be the physical chemist who seeks a mathematical model of the chemistry of the combustion process. On the other hand, inorganic and organic chemists seek ways to synthesize bioactive organic compounds containing metals to find new drugs to treat diseases. An analytical chemist might be involved in investigating new approaches to measuring the identities and amounts of drugs in body fluids. The mechanism of protein folding is a major concern to biological chemists. Often, in today's laborato ries, teams of various types of chemists are engaged with other scientists to find solutions to problems.