What are Organic Compounds?

All living things on Earth are made of carbon-containing compounds and it is Carbon's ability to bond easily and form compounds that makes it the basis of life on Earth.

Carbon has four electrons (or arms) allowing it to form 4 covalent bonds

Carbon atoms have four electrons in their outer energy level, and so they can form four covalent bonds with as many as four other atoms. When carbon atoms form four covalent bonds, they then obtain the stability of a noble gas. One of carbon's most frequent partners in forming covalent bonds is hydrogen.

Most of the substances associated with living things contain both Carbon and Hydrogen, and in turn, these substances are known as Organic Compounds.

Questions:

1. Are all compounds that contain Carbon necessarily Organic? If not, what are some exceptions?
2. How many electrons does a Carbon atom gain to obtain the stability of a noble gas?
3. What are some other frequent partners of Carbon? (List two.)

Reference:

• Werwa, E., & Zike, D. (2005). Carbon Chemistry. Chemistry (p. 96). New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
• Carbon's Uniqueness. (n.d.).DrB - Biology. Retrieved July 5, 2011, from drb-biology.wikispaces.com/file/view/c