The 6 main branches of the natural sciences

A summary of the scientific disciplines classified as natural sciences.

How we breathe or how our Heart beats, how the force of gravity works, what lightning is, what water is made of... these are aspects that have often captivated human beings and led them to try to find an explanation.

This has led to the emergence of a large number of ideas in this regard, and after the emergence of science, different disciplines have been interested in answering the different questions that arise.

Throughout this article we are going to see which are the branches of the natural sciencesone of the most important scientific fields.

The natural sciences

In science there are multiple objects of study and a great variety of disciplines devoted to studying them. The variety is so great that classifications have often been made in this regard. The best known, and probably one of the simplest (and to some extent arbitrary), is that which divides the sciences into natural and social sciences. that which divides the sciences into natural and social sciences.

With regard to the former, we can find that those branches that are in charge of studying the natural world, its composition and functioning are part of this group. For example, all the above examples are studied by different branches of the natural sciences.

To speak of the natural sciences is to speak of the type of questions that human beings have been asking about the universe since the dawn of time, being probably the oldest of all sciences.

The natural sciences are all those scientific disciplines that have as a common characteristic the fact of having the natural (material) world as their object of study. having as their object of study the natural (material) world and the phenomena and the phenomena that occur in it.

They also have in common that they are generally the type of sciences that have focused more on seeking an explanation far from subjectivity and based on subjectivity. away from subjectivity and based on evidence.The most common type of science is mathematics, as well as those most closely related to the mathematical and logical fields.

This is helped by the fact that their object of study is usually directly visible or perceptible (something that in the case of the social sciences is much more complex to achieve, so they have always been seen as more subjective).

Within the natural sciences we can find a great diversity of disciplines referring to a great diversity of aspects of the natural world.

The main branches of the natural sciences

The following are some of the most relevant disciplines that make up the branches of the natural sciences.

Physics

Being one of the basic fundamental sciences, physics is one of the best known branches of the natural sciences, which is dedicated to the study of the properties of matter and energy. is dedicated to the study of the properties of matter and energy, as well as the laws that govern them.It is dedicated to the study of the properties of matter and energy, as well as the laws that govern them and their interactions with each other.

Physics is one of the oldest natural sciences and one of the first sciences to be considered as such. Although it has a very extensive theoretical body, it is a science that is not limited to mere theory but has great applicability in a wide variety of fields.

In fact, many other sub-disciplines many other sub-disciplines arise from it, such as mechanics, thermodynamics, opticsIt can also be linked to other sciences, such as biophysics or astrophysics, for example. Aspects such as space and time are also valued, and it even investigates how they work.

2. Chemistry

One of the main branches of the natural sciences is chemistry, which studies the composition and structure of matter. the composition and structure of matter (whether organic or inorganic), as well as its properties and the interactions between the different types of matter.

Chemistry has allowed the development of a large number of elements useful for life and survival, including, among others, the development of pharmacology.

3. Geology

Partly related to the previous sciences, geology is one of the branches of the natural sciences that is less often thought of, but which is very useful for human beings.

It studies the Earth and its origin, composition, structure and evolution throughout history.. Thanks to it we can analyze soils, the behavior of the Earth's interior or the movement of tectonic plates, something that facilitates the practice of construction or agriculture or allows us to prevent disasters such as earthquakes.

4. Astronomy

Astronomy is another of the great scientific disciplines within the natural sciences. In this case the object of study is none other than the cosmos, its structure and composition. the cosmos, its structure and composition, its behavior and movements..

It is deeply related to physics, and can in fact be considered a specialized derivation of it.

5. Biology

Biology is one of the most relevant scientific disciplines and is among those that generally have a more perceptible object of study: living beings, their structure, functioning and life processes. through which they pass.

Within this macroscience we can find different specializations or sub-branches, such as zoology (animals), ecology (natural systems), molecular biology (cells and molecules), botany (plants), microbiology (bacteria and viruses) or mycology (fungi). We could also consider that anatomy would be part of it.

6. Medicine and health sciences

One of the branches of the natural sciences that has been most useful for mankind and its direct survival is medicine, through which the human organism, its healthy functioning and its characteristics are studied. the human organism, its healthy functioning and the possible pathologies or injuries that it may suffer in order to that it may suffer in order to allow us to survive and maintain the state of health of the population.

Within medicine there are also a large number of branches, including cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, psychiatry or obstetrics among many others.

However, there are other sciences related to health. Examples are nursing, clinical psychology or pharmacology, as well as veterinary medicine. However, both medicine and all health sciences are considered to be partly natural and partly social, although they are generally more closely linked to the natural sciences. In the case of psychology, depending on the specific branch, it will be one or the other.