Organic Chemistry

A branch of chemistry that deals with compounds based on carbon. The carbon compounds are the basis for life on this earth. In contrast to organic chemistry, there is inorganic chemistry, which takes care of the "inanimate" other compounds. A few compounds such as oxalic acid and its salts (oxalates) are covered by both organic and inorganic chemistry: prussic acid and its salts (cyanides) are also included.

Organic chemistry includes all the compounds of carbon with other elements, of which about 19 million are known at the moment and more are found every day. The carbon compounds comprise all building blocks of known life. However, by far not all organic molecules occurring in nature are known or investigated yet.

Carbon has a special position because the carbon atom has four bonding electrons with which it can form nonpolar bonds with one to four other carbon atoms. This can result in many linear or branched carbon chains as well as carbon rings, which are connected to hydrogen and other elements (especially oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus] at the bonds not occupied by carbon, which can lead to very large molecules. This explains the huge variety of organic molecules. Silicon, which also has four bonds, also has a large number of compounds, but it does not show such a large variety.

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