General Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is a fundamental branch of chemistry that deals with carbon-containing compounds, which are crucial for sustaining life on Earth. Organic compounds include essential biological molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids (like DNA), and carbohydrates. They also find applications in an array of materials, including clothing, fuels, polymers, dyes, and medicines. This section serves as an introduction to the key concepts and historical context of organic chemistry.
Historically, organic chemistry began to take shape around 1780 when chemists started differentiating between organic compounds derived from living organisms and inorganic compounds sourced from minerals. The notion of a 'vital force' behind the formation of organic compounds was proposed by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, but this was refuted in 1828 when Friedrich Wöhler synthesized urea from ammonium cyanate, proving that organic compounds could be created from inorganic ones.
The modern framework of organic chemistry has since evolved, focusing on the principles of covalent bonding and the unique tetravalence of carbon, which allows it to form stable and diverse structures. Concepts such as hybridization, resonance, and functional groups are central to understanding the reactivity and classification of organic compounds.