Organic chemistry touches every aspect of your life. This includes such areas as the clothes you wear, the food you eat, and the car you drive. Common to each of these items are chemical compounds based on the element carbon. Organic chemistry has both positive and negative attributes, and organic chemistry involves you.
All living creatures, both plant and animal, consist largely of complex carbon-containing molecules. These molecules provide for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of each organism as well as for the continuance of the species. Interestingly, as chemists learned how to synthesize these complex molecules of life and the molecules that interact with them, organic chemistry came back to its roots. A part of the beginnings of organic chemistry was the study of compounds derived from the “organs” of living creatures—thus the name organic chemistry. Now the knowledge gained from that research provides the basis for healing the diseases of many of those organs.
Looking in a totally different direction for the presence of carbon atoms in your life, what can you find that is more commonplace than plastic? You use plastics, or polymers, virtually all day long from the “disposable” packaging of your bath toiletries to the sophisticated polymeric materials in your car and computer. The plastics that make up all these items are based on organic compounds. The polymer industry has impacted modern society more than any other industry.
The above discussion covers some of the positive contributions of organic chemistry. Unfortunately, however, organic chemistry has made some negative contributions to the world too. There is a wide variety of commercial products that do not readily degrade when discarded or that cause other sorts of environmental problems. In spite of their usefulness, plastics are among those products. Because of the negative side of plastic, and other products, chemistry has gained a bad reputation in modern society. Adding to this reputation are the unscrupulous entrepreneurs who inappropriately dump hazardous materials thus contaminating the soil, air, and water.
Few chemists and chemical companies intentionally market products that will cause harm to a customer or to the environment
All living creatures, both plant and animal, consist largely of complex carbon-containing molecules. These molecules provide for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of each organism as well as for the continuance of the species. Interestingly, as chemists learned how to synthesize these complex molecules of life and the molecules that interact with them, organic chemistry came back to its roots. A part of the beginnings of organic chemistry was the study of compounds derived from the “organs” of living creatures—thus the name organic chemistry. Now the knowledge gained from that research provides the basis for healing the diseases of many of those organs.
Looking in a totally different direction for the presence of carbon atoms in your life, what can you find that is more commonplace than plastic? You use plastics, or polymers, virtually all day long from the “disposable” packaging of your bath toiletries to the sophisticated polymeric materials in your car and computer. The plastics that make up all these items are based on organic compounds. The polymer industry has impacted modern society more than any other industry.
The above discussion covers some of the positive contributions of organic chemistry. Unfortunately, however, organic chemistry has made some negative contributions to the world too. There is a wide variety of commercial products that do not readily degrade when discarded or that cause other sorts of environmental problems. In spite of their usefulness, plastics are among those products. Because of the negative side of plastic, and other products, chemistry has gained a bad reputation in modern society. Adding to this reputation are the unscrupulous entrepreneurs who inappropriately dump hazardous materials thus contaminating the soil, air, and water.
Few chemists and chemical companies intentionally market products that will cause harm to a customer or to the environment
Those that do usually are considering only how much profit they can make and may even cover up evidence showing harm from their product. In many cases, the problems with a product come to light after the product reaches the market—sometimes long after reaching the market. This may occur because the company simply did not thoroughly test its product. Also, the shortfall in testing is often in the areas where the customer uses the product in ways unrelated to its intended use. Most chemists and chemical industries are good citizens with sound environmental concerns.
So, besides being a consumer, how could you fit into organic chemistry? Are you good at thinking up new ideas or looking at old ideas in new ways? The marketplace always welcomes new products. Do you have a concern for the environment? There is a worldwide need for solutions to the multitude of environmental problems and to find new products to replace those products causing harm to the environment. Related to the environment are the needs for solutions to the many other problems of modern society. Have you always been one to ask, “Why?” and “How does it work?” Chemists have just begun to learn about chemistry. Perhaps you could do research in
So, besides being a consumer, how could you fit into organic chemistry? Are you good at thinking up new ideas or looking at old ideas in new ways? The marketplace always welcomes new products. Do you have a concern for the environment? There is a worldwide need for solutions to the multitude of environmental problems and to find new products to replace those products causing harm to the environment. Related to the environment are the needs for solutions to the many other problems of modern society. Have you always been one to ask, “Why?” and “How does it work?” Chemists have just begun to learn about chemistry. Perhaps you could do research in
chemistry—just because it's there. Or you could use organic chemistry as an important foundation of your profession in medicine—either as a medical researcher or as a physician working with patients. Both biochemistry and many areas of biology depend heavily on a thorough understanding of organic chemistry. Biochemistry is the study of the molecules found in living organisms. Biology is increasingly directed to molecular biology, which is designed to learn more about living organisms by understanding the molecular processes of life.
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