Marilena Tagritzis
11-A
Mr. Daniel Chemistry
May 10, 2011
Organic Compounds
An organic compound belongs to gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. Some types of carbon that contain compounds such as carbides, carbonates, and oxides of carbon and cyanides are sometimes classified as inorganic. AllotropesHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropes_of_carbon" of carbon such as diamond and graphite may also be classified as inorganic. The difference between "organic" and "inorganic" carbon compounds, even though they are useful in organizing the area of chemistry it somewhat doesn’t make sense. Organic chemistry is the science that deals with all aspects of organic compounds. Organic synthesis is the procedure of their preparation. The present meaning of organic compound contains a significant amount of carbon even though many of the "organic compounds" today have no association with any substance found in living organisms. There is no official meaning of an organic compound. Some books and others define an organic compound as something that contains one or more C-H bonds; others include C-C bonds in the definition. Some say that if a molecule contains carbon it is organic. Most carbon-containing compounds are organic, and most compounds with a C-H bond are organic. Not all organic compounds automatically contain C-H bonds.
Organic compounds may be categorized in many ways. One major difference is between natural and synthetic compounds. Organic compounds can also be classified or split by the presence of heteroatoms, such as organometallic compounds which show bonds between carbon and a metal, and organ phosphorusHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organophosphorus_compound" compounds which are bonds between carbon and phosphorus. Another difference, based upon the size of organic compounds, separates small molecules and polymers. Natural compounds are produced by plants or animals.