Transmutacija

Transmutacija is a term used primarily in chemistry, physics and philosophy to describe the process through which one substance is converted into another. The word derives from the Latin transmutare, meaning “to change or transform” and has been adopted in many languages, including the Slavic languages, to refer to both historical alchemical practices and contemporary nuclear science.

Historically, alchemists in the Middle Ages and Renaissance sought transmutacija of base metals into precious ones such as gold. They believed that hidden substances called prima materia could be transformed through a series of elaborate laboratory procedures, often involving symbolic and mystical elements. Although the practical goals of these alchemical pursuits were never achieved, the concept of transmutacija laid groundwork for modern chemistry by encouraging systematic observation, hypothesis testing, and the search for underlying natural laws.

In modern science, transmutacija refers mainly to nuclear transmutation, the changing of one chemical element or isotope into another by a nuclear reaction. This can occur spontaneously in radioactive decay or be induced in particle accelerators, nuclear reactors or through bombarding a target material with high-energy particles. Applications of nuclear transmutation include the production of medical isotopes, the study of nucleosynthesis in stars, and the transformation of long-lived radioactive waste into more stable forms.

Transmutacija is also encountered in biology, where it is used to describe the post-translational modification of proteins, although the term is less common in that field and is usually expressed as “protein modification” or “post-translational change.”

Overall, the concept of transmutacija bridges ancient speculative traditions and contemporary empirical science, illustrating humanity’s enduring fascination with the transformation of matter.