A Gas is a fundamental component of galaxies. Stars form in the interstellar medium (ISM), produce metals, and some of these metals are recycled into the ISM and circumgalactic medium (CGM). This cycle of gas is vital for galaxies, and its chemical properties are key for the chemical evolution of galaxies. Absorption-line spectroscopy offers the unique capability of measuring chemical abundances and relative abundances of several metals in the neutral ISM. In this talk I will discuss some chemical properties of the neutral ISM/CGM in local galaxies (Milky Way, SMC/LMC) and more distant galaxies (Damped Lyman-alpha absorbers) out to the epoch of reionization (host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts).
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