Results on the Astrochemistry of the Interstellar Medium

Recent Herschel results on the molecular component of the interstellar gas will be discussed. Molecular clouds represent an important waypoint in the lifecycle of matter in the universe: they are the stellar nurseries, where gas collapses under its own weight to form new stars. Herschel has provided unique information about the chemistry responsible for the formation of molecules within translucent molecular clouds that represent a transitional case between the atomic and molecular components of the interstellar medium.