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If you work as a chemist, you practice a noble profession that has been practiced thousands of years. Almost from the time man gained control over fire, he has sought to manipulate the elements he found in the world around him. In fact, the beginning of chemistry came about when humans first processed ores to make metals. The Egyptian “keme,” meaning Earth, is often considered the root for the word chemistry. Studying matter, its makeup and reactions, has a long history.

Of course, much of what fledgling “chemists” or alchemists, as they were known, would be strange to today’s scientists. Medieval Muslims first practiced something modern chemists might actually recognize as part of their profession. They used scientific observation and tried experiments involving matter. They also identified many chemical substances. They showed a real curiosity for knowledge. Europe’s first real efforts in the field of chemistry, on the other hand, came out of desperation. The devastating effects of the Plague sent scientists on a hunt for medicines, particularly the long dreamed of but elusive Elixir of Life.

The scientific revolution of the 17th century really got the ball rolling, and by the end of that century, chemistry was ready to turn the corner. When Antoine Lavoisier developed the concept of Conservation of Mass and John Dalton proposed the Atomic Theory, modern chemistry was born.

A lot has happened in the last two centuries! Today there are thousands of bulk chemicals being used in laboratories and research facilities worldwide. The professionals in the chemistry field have a amazing history of using those chemicals to improve life on this planet. Just look at the advances in the medical field alone that came about through the efforts of chemists!

In the 21st century, it is hard to imagine a world without chemicals. In everything from the production of plastics to the making of such everyday things as photographic film and bug spray, the global need for chemicals is enormous.

Tags: Science