synthèses

Synthèses is the plural of synthesis in French, referring to processes by which elements are combined into a unified whole. The term derives from the Greek sunthesis, meaning placing together.

In chemistry, synthesis is the deliberate construction of chemical compounds from simpler starting materials. Key considerations include reaction conditions, reagents, catalysts, yields, and purification. Subfields include total synthesis, which aims to assemble a target molecule from basic building blocks, and retrosynthesis, a planning method that starts from the target and works backward to simpler precursors.

In biology and biochemistry, biosynthesis denotes the cellular production of complex molecules. Examples include protein synthesis, lipid biosynthesis, and nucleotide synthesis. Photosynthesis is an energy-converting synthesis carried out by plants and some microorganisms. Enzymes drive most biosynthetic steps.

In information science and research, synthesis means combining data or findings from multiple sources into a coherent conclusion. This includes literature synthesis, meta-analysis, and data synthesis, which help assess overall trends and the strength of evidence.

In philosophy and the humanities, synthesis refers to the integration of diverse ideas or perspectives into a coherent framework, such as dialectical synthesis in Hegelian thought or interdisciplinary syntheses in theory-building. Across fields, syntheses enable the creation of new structures, compounds, or insights from existing parts.