Organic chemistry involves the study of the structure, properties, and preparation of chemical compounds that consist primarily of carbon and hydrogen.
Organic chemistry overlaps with many areas including
- Medicinal chemistry —the design, development, and synthesis of medicinal drugs. It overlaps with pharmacology (the study of drug action).
- Organometallic chemistry — the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal.
- Polymer chemistry — the study of the chemistry of polymers.
- Physical organic chemistry — the study of the interrelationships between structure and reactivity in organic molecules.
- Stereochemistry — the study of the spatial arrangements of atoms in molecules and their effects on the chemical and physical properties of substances.