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organic chemistry

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Organic \Or*gan"ic\, a. [L. organicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. organique.]
   1. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to an organ or its functions, or
      to objects composed of organs; consisting of organs, or
      containing them; as, the organic structure of animals and
      plants; exhibiting characters peculiar to living
      organisms; as, organic bodies, organic life, organic
      remains. Cf. {Inorganic}.

   2. Produced by the organs; as, organic pleasure. [R.]

   3. Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to
      a certain destined function or end. [R.]

            Those organic arts which enable men to discourse and
            write perspicuously.                  --Milton.

   4. Forming a whole composed of organs. Hence: Of or
      pertaining to a system of organs; inherent in, or
      resulting from, a certain organization; as, an organic
      government; his love of truth was not inculcated, but
      organic.

   5. Pertaining to, or denoting, any one of the large series of
      substances which, in nature or origin, are connected with
      vital processes, and include many substances of artificial
      production which may or may not occur in animals or
      plants; -- contrasted with {inorganic}.

   Note: The principles of organic and inorganic chemistry are
         identical; but the enormous number and the completeness
         of related series of organic compounds, together with
         their remarkable facility of exchange and substitution,
         offer an illustration of chemical reaction and homology
         not to be paralleled in inorganic chemistry.

   {Organic analysis} (Chem.), the analysis of organic
      compounds, concerned chiefly with the determination of
      carbon as carbon dioxide, hydrogen as water, oxygen as the
      difference between the sum of the others and 100 per cent,
      and nitrogen as free nitrogen, ammonia, or nitric oxide;
      -- formerly called ultimate analysis, in distinction from
      proximate analysis.

   {Organic chemistry}. See under {Chemistry}.

   {Organic compounds}. (Chem.) See {Carbon compounds}, under
      {Carbon}.

   {Organic description of a curve} (Geom.), the description of
      a curve on a plane by means of instruments. --Brande & C.

   {Organic disease} (Med.), a disease attended with morbid
      changes in the structure of the organs of the body or in
      the composition of its fluids; -- opposed to {functional
      disease}.

   {Organic electricity}. See under {Electricity}.

   {Organic} {law or laws}, a law or system of laws, or
      declaration of principles fundamental to the existence and
      organization of a political or other association; a
      constitution.

   {Organic stricture} (Med.), a contraction of one of the
      natural passages of the body produced by structural
      changes in its walls, as distinguished from a spasmodic
      stricture, which is due to muscular contraction.

Chemistry \Chem"is*try\ (k[e^]m"[i^]s*tr[y^]; 277), n. [From
   {Chemist}. See {Alchemy}.]
   1. That branch of science which treats of the composition of
      substances, and of the changes which they undergo in
      consequence of alterations in the constitution of the
      molecules, which depend upon variations of the number,
      kind, or mode of arrangement, of the constituent atoms.
      These atoms are not assumed to be indivisible, but merely
      the finest grade of subdivision hitherto attained.
      Chemistry deals with the changes in the composition and
      constitution of molecules. See {Atom}, {Molecule}.

   Note: Historically, chemistry is an outgrowth of alchemy (or
         alchemistry), with which it was anciently identified.

   2. An application of chemical theory and method to the
      consideration of some particular subject; as, the
      chemistry of iron; the chemistry of indigo.

   3. A treatise on chemistry.

   Note: This word and its derivatives were formerly written
         with y, and sometimes with i, instead of e, in the
         first syllable, chymistry, chymist, chymical, etc., or
         chimistry, chimist, chimical, etc.; and the
         pronunciation was conformed to the orthography.

   {Inorganic chemistry}, that which treats of inorganic or
      mineral substances.

   {Organic chemistry}, that which treats of the substances
      which form the structure of organized beings and their
      products, whether animal or vegetable; -- called also
      {chemistry of the carbon compounds}. There is no
      fundamental difference between organic and inorganic
      chemistry.

   {Physiological chemistry}, the chemistry of the organs and
      tissues of the body, and of the various physiological
      processes incident to life.

   {Practical chemistry}, or {Applied chemistry}, that which
      treats of the modes of manufacturing the products of
      chemistry that are useful in the arts, of their
      applications to economical purposes, and of the conditions
      essential to their best use.

   {Pure chemistry}, the consideration of the facts and theories
      of chemistry in their purely scientific relations, without
      necessary reference to their practical applications or
      mere utility.

Source : WordNet®

organic chemistry
     n : the chemistry of compounds containing carbon (originally
         defined as the chemistry of substances produced by living
         organisms but now extended to substances synthesized
         artificially)
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