To understand chemistry, it is necessary to understand the basic building blocks of matter. All matter is composed of elementssubstances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. Each element is composed of atoms, the smallest units of an element that retain the chemical properties of that element.

Advances in our understanding of how technology and business meet continue to shape the way scientific discoveries move from the laboratory into everyday products and services.

The elements are organized in the periodic table, which arranges them by increasing atomic number and reveals recurring patterns in chemical behavior. Understanding elements and their properties is foundational to general, organic, and biological chemistry.