Introductory+Organic+Chemistry

Carbon Chemistry - the basics Originally organic molecules were only found in living things. Today about 20 million different organic molecules are known to exist (naturally or synthetically) due to carbon’s ability to form stong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms. In this way carbon forms long chains, branched structures or rings of carbon atoms.

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As well as the basic carbon skeleton, a wide range of reactive atoms or groups of atoms can be added. These are called **functional groups** and each one has a characteristic chemistry of its own which can be used to identify that class of organic molecule.

=Naming Organic Compounds =

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