Branches of Science

Chemistry is all around you. The air you breathe, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, chemistry touches virtually every aspect of our lives. More than any other science, it has transformed the world in which we live, bringing us abundant food, better health, stronger materials, softer fabrics, brighter colors, cleaner homes, safer transport, greater energy efficiency etc. Our body is a complex mixture of chemical substances (65% mass is due to the chemical compound, water) and we are kept alive by chemical reactions taking place in our cells. As a society, we use chemicals as medicines when we are sick, whether we use natural remedies or pharmaceutical products, chemical reactions keep us warm, cook our food and power our transport. But chemistry also has its darker side and that has been in discovering and developing substances which are potentially harmful. Bioterrorism and chemical war are curses of the advances in science. Toxicology is a science which studies all such materials which become a threat to the mankind. Now a days, it is almost impossible for an ordinary person to obtain toxic chemicals, and it is almost impossible for a poisoner to escape detection after the use. Poison is a weapon which is usable both ways and by those who wish to kill, may do so in such a way that the victim is unaware of it. Such deaths are sometimes shown as natural deaths.