Oganic Chemistry
<p ><b>Organic chemistry</b> is a subdiscipline within <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry" >chemistry</a> involving the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science" title="Science" >scientific</a> study of the structure, properties, composition, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_reaction" title="Chemical reaction" >reactions</a>, and preparation (by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_synthesis" title="Organic synthesis" >synthesis</a> or by other means) of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon" title="Carbon" >carbon</a>-based compounds, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon" title="Hydrocarbon" >hydrocarbons</a>, and their derivatives. These compounds may contain any number of other elements, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen" title="Hydrogen" >hydrogen</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen" title="Nitrogen" >nitrogen</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen" >oxygen</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogens" title="Halogens" class="mw-redirect" >halogens</a> as well as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus" title="Phosphorus" >phosphorus</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon" title="Silicon" >silicon</a>, and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur" title="Sulfur" >sulfur</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_compounds" title="Organic compounds" class="mw-redirect" >Organic compounds</a> are structurally diverse. The range of application of organic compounds is enormous. They either form the basis of, or are important constituents of, many products including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic" title="Plastic" >plastics</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug" title="Drug" >drugs</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrochemical" title="Petrochemical" >petrochemicals</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food" title="Food" >food</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive" title="Explosive" class="mw-redirect" >explosives</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint" title="Paint" >paints</a>. They form the basis of almost all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-based_life" title="Carbon-based life" >earthly life</a> processes (with very few exceptions).</p>