What are Organic Compounds?

               In going through our daily life, whether it is buying cosmetics for ladies , choosing the perfect scent of perfume, or choosing the right type of fuel for our cars that we love so much, first of all we would definitely choose a substance that is safe to use. Safe in this context, meaning a product that does not render harmful effects to us, or has more benefits than damages. In short, the simplest way to do so is by making sure our products composition is organic, that is it obeys the laws of organic chemistry…

                 

But what actually is organic chemistry???

             According to the thoughts of the mango people, those uninvolved in the study of science to be precise, organic simply means “natural.”  For instance,  gardeners speak of using organic fertilizer meaning putting something natural like compost or manure on their plants instead of a substance that is human-made, or synthetic fertilizers. The difference of natural (organic) compounds and synthetic compounds can be described in the venn diagram below :

             However, in the minds of chemists, organic chemistry is defined by a substance that is “carbon-based.” To be exact, an organic compound is any compound that contains carbon. Almost all living things are made of compounds containing mostly carbon, hence there is a variety of usage of organic chemistry in our daily life.