Chemistry is the study of matter and the interactions between different types of matter. It has four major areas: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. Organic chemistry studies carbon and living matter. Inorganic chemistry studies non-living matter. Analytical chemistry determines what a substance is and how much is present. Physical chemistry examines the physical properties of substances and their structure. There are also many sub-specialties within chemistry like biochemistry, polymer chemistry, and solid state chemistry. The fundamental starting point in chemistry is understanding atoms - their behavior, composition, and different types as shown on the periodic table of elements.