ORGANIC CHEMISTRY In groups, decide which of the following are organic materials or products. Tick as appropriate. the asphalt that paves the road where you live the bricks your house is built with the floor tiles in your living room the insect repellent that protects you against mosquitoes the mirror in your bathroom the oil you fry your eggs in the paper this book is printed on the petrol which fuels your car the PVC plumbing pipes in your house the salt you use to dress your salad the shampoo you wash your hair with the silver your ring is made of the synthetic fibre of your leggings the vitamins you take in the morning the water you shower with the wood your bed is made of Benzyle acetate functional group 102 Module 3 ELEMENTS 1 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN DAILY LIFE Two different forms of carbon: diamond and graphite Organic chemistry is more than just the study of compounds containing carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. It is the study of all the chemical reactions related to life. Carbon is an incredible element and the key ingredient for most life on Earth. All living things are made of carbon compounds and all the processes that happen in living things are chemical reactions involving carbon compounds. The ability of carbon to make so many different compounds creates the rich diversity of life on Earth. There are more carbon compounds than compounds of all the other elements put together. Carbon atoms can combine with each other in uncountable numbers of ways. For example, carbon atoms arranged in one way become soft, pliable graphite, rearranged in another way they form diamond, one of the hardest materials in the world. The principles of chemical structure and bonding are crucial for understanding the structures of biological macromolecules contained in all living things. Macromolecules contain thousands of carbon and hydrogen atoms and are composed of many smaller molecules bonded together. They include proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and lipids. The concept of functional groups is central in organic chemistry, both as a means to classify structures and for predicting properties. Functional groups are groups of atoms in organic molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. Functional groups can have a decisive influence on the chemical and physical properties of organic compounds.