Advanced Practical Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry in which covalent carbon compounds and their reactions are studied. A wide variety of classes of compounds, such as vitamins, drugs, natural and synthetic fibers, carbohydrates, peptides, and fats, consist of organic molecules. Organic chemists determine the structures of organic molecules, study their various reactions, and develop procedures for the synthesis of organic substances. Organic chemistry is the study of the properties of the compounds of carbon that are organic. All carbon compounds, except for a few inorganic carbon compounds, are organic. Inorganic carbon compounds include the oxides of carbon, the bicarbonates and carbonates of metal ions, the metal cyanides, and a few others. Organic chemistry is the most important branch of chemistry, but of course, it would be nothing without the many other areas of chemistry. In fact, all branches of chemistry should not be viewed in isolation, even though they may often be taught in isolation. Organic chemistry is all around us; life is based on organic chemistry in the clothes we wear, the drugs we take, the cars we drive, and the fuel that propels them—wood, paper, plastics, and paints. Organic chemistry is the study of compounds containing carbon the ability of carbon to form as many as 4 strong bonds to many other atoms, e.g., carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, halogens, sulfur, and phosphorus, ensures a virtually infinite number of possible compounds The constituent atoms and their exact combinations determines the chemical and physical properties of compounds and, hence, their suitability for applications.

To understand life as we know it, we must first understand a little bit of organic chemistry. Organic molecules contain both carbon and hydrogen. Though many organic chemicals also contain other elements, it is the carbon-hydrogen bond that defines them as organic. Organic chemistry defines life. Just as there are millions of different types of living organisms on this planet, there are millions of different organic molecules, each with different chemical and physical properties. There are organic chemicals that make up your hair, your skin, your fingernails, and so on. The diversity of organic chemicals is due to the versatility of the carbon atom.