Organic compound

From ArticleWorld

Organic compounds are a large class of chemical compounds that have molecules that must contain carbon. Some chemicals that are excluded from this class are the carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon. These chemicals contain carbon but are not considered organic compounds. The branch of science concerned with organic compounds is termed organic chemistry. Organic compounds are a large class of chemicals and as such require a classification means.

Organic compound classes

As organic compounds make up more than half of all known chemicals classification systems have been used. Some of these classes are acid anhydrides, acyl haldides, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, amides, aromatics, azo compounds, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, haloalkanes, imines, ketones, nitriles, nitro compounds, organometallics, phenols, polymers and thiols.

Methane is the simplest organic compound possible and is also used as a common fuel. Many of the organic compounds are important in biochemistry. The make up biochemicals such as antigens, carbohydrates, enzymes, hormones, lipids, nucleic acids and vitamins.

History and nomenclature

The term organic, goes back to the 19th century when it was thought that organic compounds could only be made by living organisms. It was believed that the life-force of organisms provided the only way to synthesize these compounds. This theory was however disproved when urea was synthesized from potassium cyanate and ammonium sulfate by Friedrich Wöhler.

The distinction between organic and inorganic compounds is disputed. However it is considered that the line between organic and inorganic compounds is in the formation of carbon-hydrogen bonds in organic compounds and the absence of these in inorganic compounds. The majority of pure organic compounds are today artificially produced. The term organic is, today, also coined to mean products that are produced without the use of artificial chemicals.