Organic chemistry

Organic chemistry studies the structures, properties, reactions, and synthesis of carbon-containing compounds, especially compounds built around carbon–hydrogen frameworks.

Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. Shared electrons form the carbon frameworks and bonds studied in organic chemistry.
Nucleophilic substitution: A reaction in which a nucleophile replaces a leaving group attached to an electrophilic atom. It illustrates how electron-rich species replace groups on carbon centers.
Total synthesis: The complete laboratory construction of a complex natural product or other target molecule from simpler starting materials. It demonstrates how organic reactions can be assembled into a route to a target structure.
Vitalism: The doctrine that living organisms possess a special principle that distinguishes them from nonliving matter. Vitalism once claimed that organic substances could not be made from inorganic materials.
Inorganic chemistry: The branch of chemistry concerned chiefly with compounds and materials not classified as organic. It contrasts with organic chemistry, though the boundary includes exceptions and overlaps.
Carbon–carbon bond: A covalent bond joining two carbon atoms, with single, double, or triple bonding possible. Carbon–carbon bonds let organic molecules form chains, branches, and rings.
Electrophilic addition: A reaction in which an electrophile and a nucleophile add across a carbon–carbon multiple bond. It shows how the electron-rich bonds of alkenes and alkynes react.
Medicinal chemistry: The discipline that designs and optimizes chemical compounds for use as medicines. Organic synthesis and structure–activity relationships guide the creation of drug candidates.
Friedrich Wöhler: A German chemist who synthesized urea from ammonium cyanate in 1828. His synthesis became a landmark in the debate over vitalism and organic compounds.
Organometallic chemistry: The study of compounds containing bonds between carbon and metals. It bridges organic and inorganic chemistry through metal–carbon bonding and catalytic reactions.

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