The impact of ancient Aristotelian ideas on the development of understandings of motion, elements, and matter was discussed in earlier chapters. Historians also trace the "vitalist theory" back to Aristotle. According to Aristotle's idea, all living organisms are composed of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and have in addition an actuating force, the life or soul that makes the organism different from nonliving things made of the same four elements. Plants, as well as animals, were considered to have this actuating, or vital, force in the Aristotelian scheme of things.
There were strong proponents of the vitalist theory as recently as the early 1800s. Their basic argument was that organic matter, the materials and chemical compounds recognized as being associated with life, could not be produced in the laboratory. Organic matter could only be produced in a living organism, they argued, because the organism had a vital force that is not present in laboratory chemicals. Then, in 1828, a German chemist named Fredrich Wohler decomposed a chemical that was not organic to produce urea (N2H4CO), a known organic compound that occurs in urine. Wohler's production of an organic compound was soon followed by the production of other organic substances by other chemists. The vitalist theory gradually disappeared with each new reaction, and a new field of study, organic chemistry, emerged.
This chapter is an introductory survey of the field of organic chemistry, which is concerned with compounds and reactions of compounds that contain carbon. You will find this an interesting, informative introduction, particularly if you have ever wondered about synthetic materials, natural foods and food products, or any of the thousands of carbon-based chemicals you use every day. The survey begins with the simplest of organic compounds, those consisting of only carbon and hydrogen atoms, compounds known as hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are the compounds of crude oil, which is the source of hundreds of petroleum products.
Most common organic compounds can be considered derivatives of the hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, ethers, fatty acids, and esters. Some of these are the organic compounds that give flavors to foods, and others are used to make hundreds of commercial products, from face cream to oleo. The main groups, or classes, of derivatives will be briefly introduced, along with some interesting examples of each group. A very strong link exists between organic chemistry and the chemistry of living things, which is called biochemistry, or biological chemistry. Some of the important organic compounds of life, including proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, are discussed next. The chapter concludes with an introduction to synthetic polymers, what they are, and how they are related to the fossil fuel supply.