Sr.

no Organic Compounds Inorganic Compounds

1. Organic compounds are characterized by Most inorganic compounds do not have carbon
the presence of carbon atoms in them atoms in them (some exceptions do exist)

2. Organic compounds consisting of They do not possess hydrogen or oxygen and their
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and their other derivatives
derivatives

3. Organic compounds are said to be more These compounds are not inflammable and are
volatile and also highly inflammable non-volatile in nature

4. These compounds exist in the form of These exist as solids

solids, gases, and liquids.

5. These are insoluble in water These are soluble in water and also non-soluble in
some of the organic solutions

6. These compounds have the carbon- These do not have the carbon-hydrogen bonds
hydrogen bonds

7. Organic compounds are mainly found in These compounds are found in non-living things
most of the living things

8. Organic compounds form covalent bonds Inorganic compounds form ionic bonds between
the atoms of molecules

9. In most of the aqueous solutions, these are In aqueous solutions, these are known to be good
poor conductors of heat and electricity conductors of heat and electricity

10. Examples of organic compounds include The example for inorganic compounds includes
fats, nucleic acids, sugars, enzymes, non-metals, salts, metals, acids, bases, substances
proteins and hydrocarbon fuels which are made from single elements

11. These have relatively low melting points These have low melting and boiling points
and boiling points. compared to organic compounds

12 These are biological and more complex in These are of mineral and not much complexity in
nature nature

13 Organic compounds cannot make salts Inorganic compounds can make salts

14 The rate of reaction is slow in organic Inorganic compounds have a high rate of reaction
compounds
What is organic compound?
Organic compound, any of a large class of
chemical compounds in which one or more
atoms of carbon are covalently linked to
atoms of other elements, most commonly
hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. The few
carbon-containing compounds not classified
as organic include carbides, carbonates, and
cyanides.
Difference Between Organic and
Inorganic Compounds
Organic and inorganic compounds form one
of the primary basis for chemistry. The
study of organic compounds is termed as
organic chemistry and the study of inorganic
compounds is inorganic chemistry. These
are said to be one of the large class of
members. The primary difference that lies
between these organic compounds and
inorganic compounds is that organic
compounds always have a carbon atom
while most of the inorganic compounds do
not contain the carbon atom in them. Almost
all the organic compounds contain the
carbon-hydrogen or a simple C-H bond in
them.
The most common fact that differentiates
organic compounds from inorganic
compounds is that the organic compounds
mainly result from activities of a living
being. Whereas, inorganic compounds are
obtained from the natural processes which
are not related to any of the life forms on
earth or any result of human experiments
which are conducted in laboratories.
The difference between organic and
inorganic compounds does not end with the
presence or the absence of carbon atoms in
them. These have characteristics of both the
types of compounds which are said to be
different.
Carbohydrates
Almost all organisms use carbohydrates as
sources of energy. In addition, some
carbohydrates serve as structural materials.
Carbohydrates are molecules composed of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; the ratio of
hydrogen atoms to oxygen and carbon atoms
is 2:1.
Simple carbohydrates, commonly referred to
as sugars, can be monosaccharides if they
are composed of single molecules, or
disaccharides if they are composed of two
molecules. The most important
monosaccharide is glucose, a carbohydrate
with the molecular formula C6H12O6.
Glucose is the basic form of fuel in living
things. In multicellular organisms, it is
soluble and is transported by body fluids to
all cells, where it is metabolized to release
its energy. Glucose is the starting material
for cellular respiration, and it is the main
product of
Three important disaccharides are also
found in living things: maltose, sucrose, and
lactose. Maltose is a combination of two
glucose units covalently linked. The table
sugar sucrose is formed by linking glucose
to another monosaccharide called fructose.
Lipids One essential function of proteins is as an
enzyme. Enzymes catalyze the chemical
Lipids are organic molecules composed of
reactions that take place within cells. They
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The
are not used up in a reaction; rather, they
ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is
remain available to catalyze succeeding
much higher in lipids than in carbohydrates.
reactions.
Lipids include steroids (the material of
which many hormones are composed), Every species manufactures proteins unique
waxes, and fats. to that species. The information for
synthesizing the unique proteins is located in
Fat molecules are composed of a glycerol
the nucleus of the cell. The so-called genetic
molecule and one, two, or three molecules
code specifies the amino acid sequence in
of fatty acids. A glycerol molecule contains
proteins. Hence, the genetic code regulates
three hydroxyl (–OH) groups. A fatty acid is
the chemistry taking place within a cell.
a long chain of carbon atoms (from 4 to 24)
Proteins also can serve as a reserve source of
with a carboxyl (–COOH) group at one end.
energy for the cell. When the amino group is
The fatty acids in a fat may all be alike or
removed from an amino acid, the resulting
they may all be different. They are bound to
compound is energy-rich.
the glycerol molecule by a process that
involves the removal of water.
Nucleic acids
Proteins Like proteins, nucleic acids are very large
molecules. The nucleic acids are composed
Proteins, among the most complex of all
of smaller units called nucleotides. Each
organic compounds, are composed of amino
nucleotide contains a carbohydrate molecule
acids, which contain carbon, hydrogen,
(sugar), a phosphate group, and a nitrogen-
oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Certain amino
containing molecule that, because of its
acids also have sulfur atoms, phosphorus, or
properties, is a nitrogenous base.
other trace elements such as iron or copper.
Living organisms have two important
All living things depend on proteins for their
nucleic acids. One type is deoxyribonucleic
existence. Proteins are the major molecules
acid, or DNA. The other is ribonucleic acid,
from which living things are constructed.
or RNA. DNA is found primarily in the
Certain proteins are dissolved or suspended
nucleus of the cell, while RNA is found in
in the watery substance of the cells, while
both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, a
others are incorporated into various
semiliquid substance that composes the
structures of the cells. Proteins are also
volume of the cell (see Chapter 3).
found as supporting and strengthening
materials in tissues outside of cells. Bone, DNA and RNA differ from one another in
cartilage, tendons, and ligaments are all their components. DNA contains the
composed of proteins. carbohydrate deoxyribose, while RNA has
ribose. In addition, DNA contains the base
thymine, while RNA has uracil.