Answer
The major difference between organic substances and inorganic substance is that organic substances contain carbon atoms and inorganic substances do not contain carbon atoms. This is however, a generalization to which there are some exceptions or caveats. It is also characteristic for most organic compounds to contain H atoms enabling them to form C-H bonds. Many organic copounds also have oxygen atoms but this is not a diagnostic characteristic.
Exception: Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are often classified as inorganic by some chemists despite the presence of the carbon atoms in these molecules. These compounds do no not have hydrogen atoms and do not form C-H bonds. In general organic compounds are more important for living organisms than inorganic compounds are.
Examples of common organic compounds are fats, carbohydrates (starch , glycogen, sucrose, fructose, glucose),proteins, nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), enzymes, hormones and ethyl alcohol. Inorganic compounds include salts(sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate) and metasl (gold copper) and minerals ( calcite, silicate hematite)
Work Step by Step
Organic substances have carbon atoms and include C-H bonds in their molecular structure. Many organic molecules, not all, also contain oxygen atoms. Organic substances are also more important for human metabolism and life than are inorganic substances. Nevertheless, the most important substance for human physiology, water,is an inorganic substance. Some well-known organic substances are starch, glycogen, sucrose, glucose, fructose, alcohols, fats, proteins and nucleic acids --DNA and RNA. Well-know inorganic compounds include hydrochloric acid(HCL), table salt(NaCl), magnesium sulfate, diamonds, oxides, cyanides, silicates, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Organic compounds form large molecules (macromolecules) by dehydration synthesis , removing H ions and OH ions and joining them to form water which is removed in the reaction. Organic molecules have important distinguishing functional groups attached to their carbon backbones. Some of these functional groups include , hydroxide, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino , ester, phosphate and sulfhydryl functional groups: amino acids have the carboxyl group, aspirin is an ester of salicylic acid, and ATP molecules have the phosphate group. These functional groups are important in determining the chemical reactions in which the organic substances participate. In addition to these features organic compounds generally differ from inorganic substances in the following ways:
Organic compounds tend to be more complex and to be associated with living organisms.
Inorganic molecules tend to be less complex and to be more associated with geological processes
Bonding in organic compounds is mainly covalent bonding, while inorganic molecules have
mainly ionic bonds. Finally, inorganic compounds burn more easily than inorganic salts and
metals.
