The nature of organic compounds

Organic chemistry is the study of organic compounds and their structure, properties, and reactions. Organic compounds are chemicals that are based on the element carbon, and most often they would also contain bonds between carbon and hydrogen. Methane, a hydrocarbon, shown in Figure 1, is one of the simplest organic compounds.

Figure 1. Structure of methane, a simple organic compound.

Many organic compounds contain elements other than carbon and hydrogen, typically oxygen and nitrogen, but it can also be other groups such as phosphorus or halogens.

Some carbon compounds are not considered to be organic, e.g. carbonates and carbon oxides like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These types of compounds are regarded as inorganic.