As a consequence of this theorem, every object A of (i has elementsnamely, the elements of the image A' of A under the imbedding-and all the usual propositions and constructions performed by means of diagram chasing may be carried out in an arbitrary abelian category precisely as in the category of abelian groups. In fact, if we identify (a with its image Wt' under the imbedding, then a sequence is exact in (t if and only if it is an exact sequence of abelian groups. The kernel, cokernel, image, and coimage of a map f of et are the kernel, cokernel, image, and coimage of f in the category of abelian groups; the map f is an epimorphism, monomorphism, or isomorphism if and only if it has the corresponding property considered as a map of abelian groups. The direct product of finitely many objects of et is their direct product as abelian groups. If A (c, then every subobject [4] of A is a subgroup of A, and the intersection (or sum) of finitely many subobjects of A is their ordinary intersection (or sum); the direct (or inverse) image of a subobject of A by a map of Q is the usual set-theoretic direct (or inverse) image. Moreover, if