Unit 1 Vetmed Organic

1.
1 DEFINITION OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the

scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and
preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of chemical compounds
consisting primarily of carbon and hydrogen, which may contain any number
of other elements, including nitrogen, oxygen, the halogens as well as
phosphorus, silicon and sulfur.
The original definition of "organic" chemistry came from the misconception that
organic compounds were always related to life processes. However, organic
molecules can be produced by processes not involving life. Life as we know also
depends on inorganic chemistry. Organic compounds are believed to be the
origin of life.
Organic chemistry is also defined as the chemistry of compounds of carbon

that constituent the central chemicals of all living things on this planet. There
are a number of organic compounds that serve as medicines, dyes, polymers
used in our day-to-day activities, food additives, pesticides and foods. DNA’s
(giant molecules that contain the genetic information for all living species (˜ 10
million carbon atoms) is organic. There are about ten million organic
compounds known to date.
Carbon atoms attach themselves to one another to form long chains, rings of
all sizes. The chains and rings can have branches and other atoms like H, F,
Cl, and O attached.
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C C
C
C C C
C C C
C C C C
C C
C C C
C C C
C C C C
C C C
four membered five membered six membered

ring
Fig 1.1 the unique behavior of carbon to form chains and rings
1.2 HISTORY OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
At the beginning of the nineteenth century chemists generally thought that

compounds from living organisms were too complicated in structure to be
capable of artificial synthesis from non-living things, and that a 'vital force' or
vitalism conferred the characteristics of living beings on this form of matter.
They named these compounds 'organic', and preferred to direct their
investigations toward inorganic materials that seemed more promising.
Man has started to use organic compounds and products of organic reactions
thousands years back.
 Egyptians used Indigo and Alizarin (later identified to be organic) to dye cloth.
 Fermentation of grapes to produce ethyl alcohol (organic reaction) has been

practiced by human being for a considerable long time.
In 1780s, scientists distinguished between organic compounds and inorganic

compounds (Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman).
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Organic compounds: as compounds derived from living organisms (vegetables
and animals). A compound like urea is considered to be organic because urea
is a constituent of urine.
They thought that organic compounds couldn’t be synthesized in the

laboratory. This theory is called the vitalism theory. They believed that organic
compounds couldn’t be synthesized because of the vital force requirement,
which is not present in flasks and test tubes.
Inorganic compounds: are substances derived from non-living materials

(mineral constituting of the earth). 1816: Michel Chevreull synthesized soap
from animal fat.
NaOH
Animal fat Soap + Glycerol
(tallow) H2O
Conversion of fat (organic) into soap and soap into fatty acid with out the
intervention of outside vital force was the first demonstration that organic
compounds could be interconvert into each other in the laboratory. This is the
first experiment that indicated the vital force theory was with drawbacks.
1828 – 1850: A number of ‘organic’ compounds were synthesized from sources

that are clearly inorganic.
1828: Friedrich Wöhler got a compound that is similar with the substance
called urea isolated from urine. This happened by chance in his attempt of
producing ammonium cyanate in the laboratory
O
Heat
NH4+NCO- H2N-C-NH2
Ammonium cyanate Urea
(inorganic salt)
The word organic is still used even after the demise of vitalism in science to
mean coming from living organism. Organic vitamin and organic fertilizer are
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names used to mean that they are containing substances that are derived from
plants and animals.
In science today, a different name is given to the field of study of compounds

from living organisms. It is known as Natural products Chemistry.
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1.

1 DEFINITION OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the

Organic chemistry is also defined as the chemistry of compounds of carbon

four membered five membered six membered

1.2 HISTORY OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

At the beginning of the nineteenth century chemists generally thought that

 Fermentation of grapes to produce ethyl alcohol (organic reaction) has been

In 1780s, scientists distinguished between organic compounds and inorganic

They thought that organic compounds couldn’t be synthesized in the

Inorganic compounds: are substances derived from non-living materials

1828 – 1850: A number of ‘organic’ compounds were synthesized from sources

In science today, a different name is given to the field of study of compounds

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