Others may study the evolution of plants and animals to understand how genetic traits are carried through successive generations. Biochemists who do applied research develop products and processes that improve our lives. For example, in medicine, biochemists and biophysicists develop tests used to detect diseases, genetic disorders, and other illnesses.
Neurochemist Neurochemistry combination of neuroscience and chemistry is the study of neurochemicals; the system that allows the brain to function by using chemicals neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are needed in order to move information around in the brain. Since each person's brain chemistry varies, so do the levels of neurotransmitters in each brain. These levels affect each person's brain function differently, therefore explaining the many behavioural disorders out there.
Environment, age, diet, medications, drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol can influence the levels of neurotransmitters and their receptors in the brain - with some of these having long-term affects such as nicotine.
A neurochemist is a biochemist who specializes in the area of neurochemicals, and seeks to research and understand the biochemistry and molecular biology of organic compounds in the nervous system. Neurochemists have mostly research-based jobs, where they study the human brain and nervous system in order to understand human thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Nuclear Chemist Another subfield, nuclear chemistry, deals specifically with radioactivity and other properties and processes of nuclear matter.
Nuclear chemists study the effects of radiation on living things in order to create medical treatments which will counteract or prevent negative outcomes on the cellular level. They may also aid in the development of new technologies to create or harness radioactive power. A nuclear chemist working at a power plant, for example, might study which chemical compound allows for the safest storage of radioactive material or investigate new and more efficient ways of extracting nuclear power.
Theoretical Chemist Theoretical chemists explore scientific ideas and theories in an attempt to more fully explain chemical reactions. Scientists in this field work with advanced subjects like quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, statistical thermodynamics and quantum mechanics in order to develop solid theories which can be applied in industrial, medical and nuclear applications.
The theories they formulate underlie modern technologies like DNA analysis, advanced medical treatments and new alternative fuels. Chemists have distinct personalities. They are curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical. Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if chemist is one of your top career matches. Chemists mostly work indoors in laboratories and other controlled environments conducive to compromised research. They work with various types of scientific equipment, such as spectrometers and chromatographs, which allow them to examine and evaluate chemicals and compounds at a microscopic level.
Chemists tend to work in teams and may have assistants or working students at their disposal. These apprentices perform more menial tasks so the chemists can focus on evaluating the results in order to create new theories and applications for chemical compounds. They are employed by both governmental agencies and companies in the private sector. Some chemists work in college and university research departments and those with a doctoral degree may work in an educational setting, teaching students the fundamentals of chemistry.
Chemists typically maintain a regular work schedule and are largely self-managed during the work day due to the unpredictable nature of their work. A degree in chemical engineering is appropriate for students who are interested in getting an engineering degree in chemical applications as opposed to theoretical foundations. It focuses on certain aspects of math and physics, such as fluid dynamics, distillation, absorption, leeching and membrane separation, heat transfer, and equipment design.
As such, compounds such as these are considered part of both fields. Inorganic chemistry is used to create a variety of products, including paints, fertilizers and sunscreens. Organic chemistry deals with chemical compounds that contain carbon, an element considered essential to life.
Organic chemists study the composition, structure, properties and reactions of such compounds, which along with carbon, contain other non-carbon elements such as hydrogen, sulfur and silicon. Organic chemistry is used in many applications, as described by the ACS , such as biotechnology, the petroleum industry, pharmaceuticals and plastics.
Physical chemistry uses concepts from physics to understand how chemistry works. For example, figuring out how atoms move and interact with each other, or why some liquids, including water, turn into vapor at high temperatures.
Physical chemists try to understand these phenomena at a very small scale — on the level of atoms and molecules — to derive conclusions about how chemical reactions work and what gives specific materials their own unique properties.
Related: Nobel Prize in chemistry given for solvers of 'mirror-image problem'. This type of research helps inform other branches of chemistry and is important for product development, according to the ACS. For example, physical chemists may study how certain materials, such as plastic, may react with chemicals the material is designed to come in contact with.
Chemists work in a variety of fields, including research and development, quality control, manufacturing, environmental protection, consulting and law. They can work at universities, for the government or in private industry, according to the ACS. In academia, chemists performing research aim to further knowledge about a particular topic, and may not necessarily have a specific application in mind.
Their results, however, can still be applied to relevant products and applications. In industry, chemists in research and development use scientific knowledge to develop or improve a specific product or process. For example, food chemists improve the quality, safety, storage and taste of food; pharmaceutical chemists develop and analyze the quality of drugs and other medical formulations; and agricultural chemists develop fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides necessary for large-scale crop production.
Sometimes, research and development may not involve bettering the product itself, but rather the manufacturing process involved in making that product. Environmental chemists study how chemicals interact with the natural environment, characterizing the chemicals and chemical reactions present in natural processes in the soil, water and air. For example, scientists can collect soil, water or air from a place of interest and analyze it in a laboratory to determine if human activities have contaminated, or will contaminate, the environment or affect it in other ways.
Some environmental chemists can also help remediate, or remove contaminants, from the soil, according to the U. Chemists must be highly technically skilled and adhere to strict procedures and health and safety requirements. They must also have the ability to interpret data, as well as excellent writing skills, for reporting scientific results and submitting their findings for peer review.
All chemists work with simple forms of matter to either reach a greater understanding of the chemical itself, uncover the elements of unfamiliar substances or create entirely new chemical compounds for use in a variety of applications.
Chemists typically specialize in one of the sub disciplines of chemistry, the most prominent of those being biochemistry, neurochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and theoretical chemistry.
There are even those involved in forensic chemistry who work with law enforcement to establish evidence in criminal investigations. Some of the sub disciplines are interrelated because of the complex and widespread nature of the field. The major employers of chemists are academic institutions, the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and government laboratories.
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