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What Is Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, including their structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation. Originally focused on compounds produced by living organisms, organic chemistry has expanded to include human-made substances like plastics. Organic compounds have a vast array of applications including pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and more. Organic chemists work in industries like pharmaceutical, biotech, chemicals, and petroleum to develop new compounds and better synthesis methods.

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1K views4 pages

What Is Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, including their structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation. Originally focused on compounds produced by living organisms, organic chemistry has expanded to include human-made substances like plastics. Organic compounds have a vast array of applications including pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and more. Organic chemists work in industries like pharmaceutical, biotech, chemicals, and petroleum to develop new compounds and better synthesis methods.

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bas ha
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What Is Organic Chemistry?

Organic chemistry is the study of the structure,


properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of
carbon-containing compounds, which include not only
hydrocarbons but also compounds with any number of
other elements, including hydrogen (most compounds
contain at least one carbon–hydrogen bond), nitrogen,
oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur. This
branch of chemistry was originally limited to
compounds produced by living organisms but has been
broadened to include human-made substances such as
plastics. The range of application of organic compounds
is enormous and also includes, but is not limited to,
pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, food, explosives,
paints, and cosmetics.

 
Where Is Organic Chemistry
Used?
Organic chemistry is a highly creative science in which
chemists create new molecules and explore the
properties of existing compounds. It is the most
popular field of study for ACS chemists and Ph.D.
chemists.

Organic compounds are all around us. They are central


to the economic growth of the United States in the
rubber, plastics, fuel, pharmaceutical, cosmetics,
detergent, coatings, dyestuff, and agrichemical
industries, to name a few. The very foundations of
biochemistry, biotechnology, and medicine are built on
organic compounds and their role in life processes.
Many modern, high-tech materials are at least partially
composed of organic compounds .

Organic chemists spend much of their time creating


new compounds and developing better ways of
synthesizing previously known compounds.

 
Which Industries Hire Organic
Chemists?
Organic chemists at all levels are generally employed by
pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, consumer product,
and petroleum industries. Chemists in industry mainly
work in development, while chemists in academia are
involved in more basic research. The federal (e.g., Food
and Drug Administration, Patent and Trademark Office)
state, and local governments also hire organic
chemists.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology (“biotech” for short) is a field of applied
biology that involves using living organisms and
bioprocesses to create or modify products for a specific
use. The cultivation of plants has been viewed as the
earliest example of biotechnology and the precursor to
modern genetic engineering and cell and tissue culture
technologies. Virtually all biotechnology products are
the result of organic chemistry.
Biotechnology is used in in health care, crop production
and agriculture, nonfood uses of crops and other
products (e.g., biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil,
biofuels), and environmental applications.

Biotechnology Companies:
GenenTech, Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, Cargill 

These companies make products such as seeds for


crops that are resistant to certain diseases, seed
coatings with specific properties, and plants that are
drought resistant.

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