Question

How organic compounds were obtained in the eighteenth century?

Answer 1

There are millions of compounds of carbon that are obtained from plant and animal kingdoms.

For example: Sugars (${\mathrm{C}}_{12}{\mathrm{H}}_{22}{\mathrm{O}}_{11}$), Alcohol (${\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_5\mathrm{OH}$), Indigo ($C_{16}{H}_{10}{N}_2{O}_2$), Urea ($C{H}_4{N}_{2}O$), Blood, Albumin ($C_{123}{H}_{193}{N}_{35}{O}_{37}$), Penicillin ($C_{16}{H}_{18}{N}_2{O}_{4}S$), etc.

In $1808$, Berzelius introduced the term ‘Organic’ to describe all the substances grouped under plant and animal kingdoms. In eighteenth century, organic compounds were simply isolated from plant and animal sources. In the early days, it was believed that organic compounds were produced by the influence of a mysterious force called the ‘vital force’. In $1828$, a German chemist named Friedrich Wohler actually synthesized the organic compound Urea ($C{H}_4{N}_{2}O$), in the laboratory, from Ammonium cyanate ($C{H}_4{N}_{2}O$), for the first time.

$\underset{\mathrm{Ammonium}\mathrm{cyanate}}{{\mathrm{NH}}_4\mathrm{CNO}}\to \underset{\mathrm{Urea}}{\mathrm{CO}{\left({\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)}_2}$

This synthesis gave a death blow to the vital force theory. Many organic compounds were subsequently prepared in the laboratory. Urea ($C{H}_4{N}_{2}O$) is found in the urine of mammals.