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On the most basic level, chemistry is the subject of matter and change. It can be divided into five main disciplines; organic, analytical, inorganic, biochemistry, and physical. Although, as the field grows, additional concentrations have begun to emerge in the field, including; Nuclear, Polymer, Biophysical, Bio-inorganic, and Environmental chemistry. Below is are the basic definitions of the different types of chemistry.

Organic: A sub-field of chemistry that involves studying the molecules of life. It is mainly concerned with looking at the structure and behavior of these molecules, which are composed of only a few different types of atoms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and a few miscellaneous others.

Analytical: The science of identification and quantification of materials in a mixture. Analytical chemists may invent procedures for analysis, or they may use or modify existing ones. They also supervise, perform, and interpret the analysis.

Inorganic: Is commonly thought of as those areas within chemistry that do not deal with carbon. However, carbon is very important in many inorganic compounds, and there is a whole area of study known as organometallic chemistry that is truly a hybrid of the traditional disciplines of organic and inorganic chemistry. Some areas of inorganic chemistry that are especially important are catalysis, materials chemistry, and bio-inorganic chemistry.

Biochemistry: Is the study of the chemical principles underlying basic biological systems. Fundamentally, biochemical research aims to characterize the link between the structure and function of biological macromolecules. More specifically, biochemical research has provided a more comprehensive understanding in regenerative medicine, infectious disease, organ/tissue transplantation, clinical diagnostics and genetic disease.

Physical: The study of the fundamental physical principles that govern the way that atoms, molecules, and other chemical systems behave. Physical chemists study a wide array of topics such as the rates of reactions (kinetics), the way that light and matter interact (spectroscopy), how electrons are arranged in atoms and molecules (quantum mechanics), and the stabilities and reactivities of different compounds and processes (thermodynamics).