The study of organic chemistry began about 200 years ago. At the end of the 18th century substances had been categorized into organic and inorganic compounds. This categorization derived from the fact that organic compounds could only be obtained from plants or animals, so it was thought that they originated from a “vital force” in living tissue and therefore could not be synthesized in a laboratory. Thus giving rise to the designation of organic compounds.

This belief remained valid until 1828 when the German chemist Friedrich Wöler accidentally prepared the organic compound urea by heating the inorganic compound ammonium cyanate. This was followed by similar occurrences with other chemists in the subsequent years of the 19th century, where organic compounds were created from inorganic compounds, giving an end to the “vital force” doctrine.

Now, in the modern era, most organic compounds are synthesized. Research advances have produced more information about the compounds in organic chemistry, and have revealed that aside from carbon atoms there is also a significant presence of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, as well as a few other elements in smaller amounts. Most of them have a covalent bond between atoms. These compounds are not water soluble due to their apolarity, instead they are soluble in apolar solvents, which does not make them good conductors of electricity when in liquid form. Almost all are combustible due to their carbon-hydrogen compositions, and they have slower reaction rates than inorganic compounds.

Sources:
-Asociación Fondo de Investigadores y Editores. Química: análisis de principios y aplicaciones, tomo II. Lumbreras Editores, 2017. Robert J. Ouellette and J. David Wawn.
-Organic Chemistry: Structure, Mechanism, and Synthesis. Elsevier Science, 2014. Ucko, David A. Basics for Chemistry. Academic Press, 1982.