The Quest of Chemist to Understand Matter and Life

Vocabulary flashcards covering key scientists, historical developments, and foundational concepts in chemistry based on the lecture material.

Chemistry

The study of matter and the changes it undergoes, which developed from practical human activities into a central scientific discipline.

Metallurgy

The science and technology of metals, encompassing how metals are extracted from ores, purified, processed, and manufactured into useful materials.

Democritus

An ancient philosopher who proposed that matter was made of extremely small, indivisible particles called atomos.

Empedocles

An ancient philosopher who proposed the four-element concept, stating that matter was composed of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.

Kanada

An ancient Indian philosopher who proposed early particle-based ideas that extremely small particles are the fundamental components of matter.

Alchemy

An early historical practice combining observation of nature, metallurgy, philosophy, medicine, experimentation, and mystical beliefs.

Philosopher's Stone

A substance searched for by alchemists that was traditionally believed to possess extraordinary powers, including converting ordinary metals into gold.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

An early practitioner who contributed to experimental laboratory methods involving distillation, preparation of acids, and systematic experimentation.

Paracelsus

A Renaissance figure who promoted iatrochemistry, applying chemical substances to understand and treat human diseases.

Iatrochemistry

The practice of applying chemical knowledge and substances to understand and treat diseases within the human body.

Robert Boyle

A scientist who emphasized that scientific claims must be tested through experimentation, measurement, and evidence, authoring The Sceptical Chymist in 1661.

Antoine - Laurent de Lavoisier

Known as the Father of Modern Chemistry, he demonstrated the Law of Conservation of Mass, established chemical nomenclature, and published Traite Elementaire de Chimie in 1789.

Law of Conservation of Mass

The principle demonstrated by Lavoisier stating that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction.

Traite Elementaire de Chimie

A textbook published by Lavoisier in 1789 that presented chemistry in a systematic and quantitative manner.

John Dalton

A 19th-century scientist who developed an influential atomic theory stating that matter consists of atoms and compounds form in definite ratios.

Jons Jacob Berzellius

A chemist who established a systematic system of chemical symbols and notation, such as $H$ for Hydrogen and $Na$ for Sodium.

Humphry Davy

A scientist who used electrolysis to investigate compounds, isolate elements, and demonstrate that electricity causes chemical changes.

Amedeo Avogadro

A scientist who investigated relationships between gases, particles, and molecular quantities, contributing to the concept of the mole.

Friedrich Wöhler

A chemist who synthesized urea from inorganic starting materials in 1828, challenging the theory of vitalism.

Vitalism

The doctrine suggesting that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms.

Justus von Liebig

A scientist who applied chemical principles to plant nutrition, establishing agricultural chemistry and modern fertilizer practices.

Louis Pasteur

A scientist who demonstrated the role of microorganisms in fermentation, developed pasteurization, and created vaccines for several diseases.

Pasteurization

A process developed by Louis Pasteur where foods and beverages are heated under controlled conditions to reduce harmful microorganisms and improve shelf life.

Henri Becquerel

The scientist who discovered radioactivity in 1896 while investigating uranium.

Marie Curie

A researcher on radioactivity who helped isolate the radioactive elements polonium and radium.

Pierre Curie

A scientist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity alongside Marie Curie.

Ernest Rutherford

A physicist whose experiments established the nuclear model of the atom, showing a dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by empty space.

Linus Pauling

A scientist who applied quantum mechanics to chemistry to explain chemical bonding, molecular structure, and shapes.

Haber-Bosch Process

An industrial method allowing the large-scale production of ammonia for fertilizers and nitric acid.

Rosalind Franklin

A scientist who provided essential X-ray diffraction evidence that led to determining the double-helix structure of DNA.

Watson and Crick

The scientists who proposed the DNA double-helix model in 1953 using experimental evidence from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

A laboratory technique used to synthesize many copies of a specific DNA sequence for genetics, forensics, and disease detection.

Human Genome Project (HGP)

An international scientific research effort aimed at sequencing human DNA to better understand genes and heredity.