Importance of Organic Chemistry

Importance of organic chemistry

No field of science is so closely related with our daily activities as is organic chemistry. The food we eat is mainly organic in nature. The changes which this food undergoes in our bodies are organic chemical reactions. Metabolism, growth and maintenance of our bodily functions involves organic chemistry, as do the analogous changes taking place throughout the entire living world, plant and animal.

The clothes be wear, the dyes that color them, the soap and starch used to launder them, the leather in our shoes, as well as the dye and shoe polish, are products of organic chemical industry. Many of the structural materials in our houses and furniture, as well as paints and varnishes used for finishing them are all organic. Many of the appointments in our motorcars, their fuels and lubricants and the fuel which power our industrial plants are all organic in nature. The tremendous importance of organic compounds in everyday life is elected by the following list:

Food: proteins, fats, carbohydrates

Clothing: cotton, silk, wool, nylon, rayon

Shelter: wood, paints, varnishes

Power and Transportation: natural gas, petroleum products, coal

Medicines and drugs: Penicillin G, LSD streptomycin

Insecticides: DDT

Herbicides: Treflan, 2,4-D

Hormones and steroids

Vitamins and Enzymes

Antiseptics and Anaesthetics

Pigments and Dyes

Paper and inks

Photographic films and Developers Perfumes and flavours

Plastics, Rubber and Raisins

Propellants and Explosives

Soaps and Detergents 

Refrigerants

Frequently investigations based upon organic chemistry have profoundly influenced the lives of many people, sometimes even the course of Civilization. At one time thousand of acres of land were required in the growing of plants such as Indigo and Turkey red. Organic chemical research showed how to synthesise these dyes from coal-tar and thus released this land for other productive uses.