Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry

Important Points

• Organic Chemistry: The study of carbon-containing compounds.
• Unique properties of carbon:
  • Ability to form bonds with itself (long chains)
  • Form bonds with other elements (such as hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus).
• Importance of organic compounds:
  • Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids are all organic compounds.
  • Complex compounds like DNA and RNA are also organic.

Historical Perspective

• Early belief: Organic compounds could only be obtained from living organisms.
• In 1828, Friedrich Wöhler synthesized urea in the lab for the first time, proving that organic compounds can also be made from inorganic substances.
• This led to