Branches of the natural sciences and their interrelationships

Branches of the natural sciences and their interrelationships

Everything around us is studied by science itself. Science is a discipline that includes many others branches. Each branch of science is specialized in different fields. When the principal branches share concepts with each other, we have other disciplines and therefore, their interrelationships. This forms the macroscopic world of science.

Natural Sciences are defined as the study of nature in order to decipher the theories and laws by which the natural word works. Ii is divided into five principal branches: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology, and Astronomy.  Each one has a unique specialty that distinguishes it from the others. Chemistry is the science that studies matter and the changes it undergoes. Physics involves the study of matter from the perspective of its motion through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force. Biology is the study of living organisms and their interrelationship with their environment. Geology investigates and studies the Earth, the rocks from which it is composed, and patterns and processes by which they change; it is associated with the discipline of Earth Science. Astronomy involves everything related with celestial space, all that is beyond Earth.

The interrelationship of natural sciences branches generate others sub disciplines. For example, when we combine chemistry and physics, we have physical chemistry, that studies matter with concepts of chemistry and physics combined. Biology and chemistry intertwine to form biochemistry, the chemistry of life. Physics and geology form geophysics and study the forces and motions of the Earth, like the earthquakes. In the same way, astronomy and biology combines to form astrobiology, the science that studies the life beyond Earth. These and others interrelationships are summarized in the science branches pentagon of the main branches of science (in the image), that involve two geometrical figures: a pentagon and a star. Other branches are inside there like ecology, meteorology, kinetic, organic chemistry among others.

           This blog will focus on earth science and geology, but also will have the influence of the other sciences. Therefore this blog will be interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary; this means that integration and knowledge of other disciplines are required. The main objective of science is to build and organize knowledge to understand the nature and the universe with the use of testable explanations and predictions. This is the key to understand every phenomenon that happens in the Earth and beyond.

References:

Academia. Definition of Science The Branches of Science and their Meaning,

            http://www.academia.edu/10792252/Definition_of_Science_The_Branches_of_Science_and_their_Meaning

Serie Naturales. (1998). Descubrimiento 9 Ciencia Integrada.  Puerto Rico:

          Ediciones Santillana, Inc.