Organic Chemistry Learning Path

Scope and definition of organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry focused on the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials—matter that contains carbon atoms. It includes determining structural formulas, analyzing physical and chemical properties, and evaluating chemical reactivity to explain how organic compounds behave. The field covers a wide range of substances, from hydrocarbons to compounds that also contain other elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and halogens. In practice, organic chemistry also involves studying organic reactions and applying that knowledge to chemical synthesis, including the synthesis of natural products, drugs, and polymers, as well as laboratory and theoretical (in silico) study of individual organic molecules. Organic compounds are central to known life and make up the majority of known chemicals, and carbon’s bonding versatility (including single, double, and triple bonds and delocalized electron structures) leads to enormous structural diversity and broad applications in pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, agrichemicals, plastics, fuels, and more. The topic overlaps with related areas such as organometallic chemistry and biochemistry, and it is commonly taught at the college or university level.

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Organic compounds and carbon bonding patterns

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