Organic and Inorganic Matter

Content

• Characteristics of organic matter
• Characteristics of inorganic matter
• Examples of organic matter
• Examples of inorganic matter

Everything that surrounds us can be classified as organic matter or inorganic matter.

The organic material is defined by being formed by molecules organic, which are those that contain carbon forming carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. This means that atoms carbon are attached to one or more hydrogen, or two or more carbon atoms are attached to each other.

The inorganic material It is one that does not have carbon-carbon bonds.

Characteristics of organic matter

• It is the one that is present in all living beings: plants, bacteria, animals, etc.
• Atoms: In addition to carbon, organic molecules are composed mainly of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, and halogens.
• They can be natural (biomolecules) or artificial, which are those created by man.
• Classification of organic matter of natural origin in vivo (those that are part of living beings):
  • Carbohydrates: Composed mainly of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. They are also called sugars.
  • Lipids: Composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen, and to a lesser extent oxygen, and in some cases phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen. They are insoluble in water (hydrophobic) but soluble in organic solvents.
  • Protein: They are formed by polypeptides.
  • Nucleic acids: Polymers that form chains. Formed by carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphate. It is the substance that stores the genetic information of living beings.
  • Small molecules: Among them are hormones and alkaloids.
• Organic matter of natural origin ex vivo. They are those substances that are outside the cells of organisms. For example oil.
• Organic matter of synthetic origin: Human beings have managed to create organic substances from inorganic substances thanks to the Wöhler synthesis.
• Organic matter is the food of all heterotrophic organisms.

Characteristics of inorganic matter

• In the few cases where it does contain carbon, it does not form carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds.
• Atoms: it has a much greater variety of elements than organic matter.
• Unlike organic matter, it does not have ionic (or electrovalent) bonds.
• Inorganic matter classification:
  • Binary compounds: metal oxides, Anhydrides, Peroxides, Metal hydrides, Volatile hydrides, Hydracids,Neutral salts, Volatile salts.
  • Ternary compounds:Hydroxides, Oxoacids, Oxisales.
• Autotrophic organisms use inorganic matter to produce organic substances.

Around us, organic matter and inorganic matter are rarely separated. For example, a stone is made of organic matter, however on it there can be multiple organisms such as moss, fungi or small insects. The glasses are made of inorganic matter, however they can be covered with small bacteria, which are living beings and therefore organic matter. We ourselves, the other any surface, we can leave traces of (organic) oils that are on our skin.

Although our body is made mainly of organic matter, since all the tissues and organs are formed by it, there are many you go out, vitamins and minerals (inorganic compounds) that we need, in addition to water.

Examples of organic matter

1. Sugar: Despite being very similar in appearance to coarse salt (inorganic substance), sugar differs by an essential characteristic: it is organic. The substance from which it is made is sucrose, whose molecule is made up exclusively of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It's one of the disaccharides.
2. Paper: It is a sheet formed mainly by the organic substance cellulose, which comes from vegetable fibers. Multiple inorganic substances can intervene in the manufacture of paper, but due to the fact that it is made of cellulose, we consider it mainly organic matter.
3. Starch
4. Milk: The milk that we usually consume is an animal product and therefore is an organic substance. It is mainly made up of lactose, various lipids, and caseins (a type of protein).
5. Spider silk: It is a fiber made of proteins. Spiders use them to hunt insects, to build nests and protect their eggs, and to travel through the air.
6. Soap: It is made of organic matter of synthetic origin from a chemical reaction between an alkali (inorganic) and a lipid (organic).
7. Corn oil: Like all oils, it is a type of lipid. This is why oils never manage to mix completely with water, as they are hydrophobic at the molecular level.
8. Nail: Despite the fact that when we cut them we do not feel pain, the nails are part of the organic matter of our body. They are made up of dead cells that contain keratin, which is a form of protein.

Examples of inorganic matter

1. Salt: Table salt is an inorganic substance made up of sodium and chlorine.
2. Gold: It is a chemical element pure. It is a soft and heavy metal, which was traditionally used to create coins. Due to its high resistance to corrosion, it is used in industry and electronics.
3. Glass: Although we mainly know the glass made by humans, it can also be found in nature. For example, obsidian. The glass we see in everyday objects is made from silica sand, sodium carbonate, and limestone, melting them at 1,500 degrees.
4. Chlorine, bleach, or bleach: What we usually know as chlorine, bleach or bleach is actually sodium hypochlorite, that is, it is a compound of chlorine, sodium and oxygen.
5. Distilled water: In nature, water contains a huge amount of organic substances, even water suitable for human consumption. But the substance water is made up of molecules that contain only hydrogen and oxygen, that is, it is an inorganic substance. To obtain pure water, the distillation process, that through the vaporization of the water ensures that there is no foreign substance in the final result.
6. Potassium: It is a type of alkali metal. It is one of the inorganic substances that we need for the proper functioning of our body. It is involved in muscle contraction, neuromuscular activity, and cell development, among other functions.
7. Iron: It is one of the most abundant metals in the earth's crust. It has been used by humans to create tools and other types of objects since prehistoric times. However, it is also a substance that our body needs, although in such small proportions that they are not even visible.