Organic Chemistry
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| Discuss Organic Chemistry The branch of chemistry dealing with the compounds of carbon and the study of the structure, preparation, properties, and reactions of carbon compounds. The term organic was early applied to compounds derived from plant and animal sources. These substances from living systems were usually distillable liquids or low-melting solids and were flammable, in contrast to metals, salts, and oxides from mineral sources. Until about 1830 it was held by some that organic compounds contained some special quality, or vital force. This notion was dispelled, but the term organic remained and became broadened to include carbon compounds in general. Organic chemistry is of vital importance to the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and textile industries, where a prime concern is the synthesis of new organic molecules and polymers. Compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon, of which there are many thousands, are called hydrocarbons; the simplest is methane (CH4). In general, a particular type of organic compound, such as an alcohol, aldehyde, ether, or ketone, is identified by the presence of a characteristic functional group of atoms. The functional group is the part of the molecule most responsible for its particular chemical nature. Organic compounds containing nitrogen are of great importance in biochemistry. They generally contain the amine group (NH2). Molecules containing both the NH2 and COOH groups are called amino acids and are the building blocks of proteins.
