The study of chemistry is changing its face. In 20th century, the study of chemistry required some foundations in mathematics. But as the 21st century is unfolding, the emphasis in chemistry is shifted to biology. In fact, the demarcation line that existed between chemistry and biology is slowly vanishing and now one either talks of chemical biology or biological chemistry. This change over is going to have many ramifications in the study of chemistry. This shift in emphasis will have many other consequences. Some of the changes that one can expect in the study of chemistry would be that the study of atoms and molecules and clusters will become routine and mapping of the wave functions will become possible and hence the chemical reactivity will become a predictable parameter.

The consequence of the overlap of chemistry will biology will manifest remarkably in our study of the energy conversion processes. Hitherto the energy conversion processes are governed by the Carnot limitation since the known and practiced energy conversion processes always involved thermal conversion in one step or other. As all of us know that thermal route for energy conversion is the least efficient one. Living systems as well as the individual components of living systems function with internal generation of energy. Internal generation of energy probably accounts for high efficiency. Chemists have to formulate energy conversion devices as efficient as the living systems and probably this will be one way of understanding life.