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Thursday, 10 October 2013

Organic chemistry Introduction

Introduction to organic chemistry:-

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and the study of the chemistry of daily life. Life is based on carbon's ability to form diverse structures and an endless number of different carbon based on molecules. We are living in a world which is largely shaped by organic compounds. There is hardly any walk of life where we do not need the organic compounds. The food that we eat is essentially a mixture of organic compounds. The changes which the food undergoes in our bodies are organic chemical reactions. The clothes that we wear (wool, cotton, leather, synthetics) are all organic in character. The soap, cosmetics, perfume, oils, plastics, explosives, rubber, dyestuffs, paper, insecticides, and many more are all organic compounds. The sources of primary energy we still use every day (petroleum, natural gas, coal) are organic in nature. In the medical field, organic compounds are indispensable. Antibiotics, sulpha drugs, alkaloids, aspirin, iodoform, and many are organic compounds. There is hardly any industry which is not dependent on organic compounds.

            Organic chemistry is that branch of chemistry that deals with the structure, properties, and reactions of compounds that contain carbon. It is a highly creative science. In addition to being plentiful, organic compounds are also unique. This is because carbon atoms have the ability to form strong bonds with many different elements. Carbon atoms are also able to bond covalently to other carbon atoms, while simultaneously forming strong bonds with other nonmetal atoms. When carbon atoms bond together, they can form chains consisting of thousands of atoms. They can also form rings, spheres, and tubes.

 Chemists in general and organic chemists in particular can create new molecules never before proposed which, if carefully designed, may have important properties for the betterment of the human experience. In terms of Ph.D. population, organic chemistry is the largest chemistry discipline, in both total numbers, annual Ph.D. graduates, and in annual production. Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and the study of the chemistry of life. Since not all carbon reactions are organic, another way to look at organic chemistry would be to consider it the study of molecules containing the carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bond and their reactionsOrganic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that involves the study of organic carbon compounds. It encompasses the structures, composition, and synthesis of carbon-containing compounds. In understanding organic chemistry, it is important to note that all organic molecules consist not only of carbon, but also contain hydrogen. While it is true that organic compounds can contain other elements, the bond between carbon and hydrogen is what makes a compound organic.

Originally, organic chemistry was defined as the study of compounds created by living organisms. However, its definition has been enlarged to include artificially synthesized substances as well. Before 1828, all organic compounds were obtained from living organisms. Scientists didn’t believe it was possible to synthesize organic compounds from inorganic compounds. Many attempted to do so and failed. However, in 1828, urea was synthesized from inorganic substances, paving the way for a new definition of organic chemistry.

Organic chemistry deals not only with the chemistry of life and the natural carbon compounds but also with the huge, increasing number of synthetic carbon compounds. We are living in a world which is largely shaped by organic compounds. There is hardly any walk of life where we do not need the organic compounds. There is hardly any industry which is not dependent on organic compounds. It is the most beautiful branch of science which has great applications in our everyday life. All our requirements would not have been fulfilled without the knowledge of organic chemistry. The understanding of organic chemistry dates back to the nineteenth century. Scientists claimed that things obtained from plants are too complex to study and recreate in the laboratory. Inorganic chemistry, another main branch of chemistry, was believed to be much simpler and easier to do research. The scientists believed that all the organic matter were held by a vital force. They then named these compounds as organic.


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