What is the difference between organic and inorganic products? How organic chemistry differs from inorganic

In life, we are surrounded by a variety of bodies and objects. For example, in the rooms it is a window, door, table, light bulb, cup, on the street - a car, traffic light, asphalt. Any bodies or objects are composed of matter. This article will discuss what a substance is.

What is chemistry?

Water is an indispensable solvent and stabilizer. It has a strong heat capacity and thermal conductivity. The aquatic environment is favorable for the occurrence of basic chemical reactions. It is characterized by transparency and practically resistant to compression.

What is the difference between inorganic and organic substances?

There are no particularly strong external differences between these two groups of substances. The main difference lies in the structure, where inorganic substances have a non-molecular structure and organic substances have a molecular structure.

Inorganic substances have a non-molecular structure, therefore, they are characterized by high melting and boiling points. They do not contain carbon. These include noble gases (neon, argon), metals (calcium, calcium, sodium), amphoteric substances (iron, aluminum) and non-metals (silicon), hydroxides, binary compounds, salts.

Organic matter of molecular structure. They have fairly low melting points and decompose quickly when heated. Mainly composed of carbon. Exceptions: carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and cyanides. Carbon allows you to form a huge number of complex compounds (in nature there are more than 10 million of them).

Most of their classes belong to biological birth (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids). These compounds include nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur.

To understand what a substance is, it is necessary to imagine what role it plays in our lives. Interacting with other substances, it forms new ones. Without them, the life of the surrounding world is inseparable and inconceivable. All objects are composed of certain substances, so they play an important role in our lives.

Each science is full of concepts, if not mastered, those based on these concepts or indirect topics can be very difficult. One of the concepts that should be well understood by every person who considers himself more or less educated is the separation of materials into organic and inorganic. No matter how old a person is, these concepts are on the list of those with which they determine the general level of development at any stage of human life. In order to understand the differences between these two terms, you first need to find out what each of them is.

Organic compounds - what is it

Organic matter - a group of chemical compounds with a heterogeneous structure, which include carbon elementscovalently linked together. The exception is carbides, carbonic, carboxylic acids. Also, some of the constituent substances, in addition to carbon, are elements of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and halogen.

Such compounds are formed due to the ability of carbon atoms to be in single, double and triple bonds.

The habitat of organic compounds are living things. They can be both in the composition of living beings, and appear as a result of their vital activities (milk, sugar).

The products of the synthesis of organic substances are food, medicine, clothing, building materials, various equipment, explosives, various types of mineral fertilizers, polymers, food additives, cosmetics and more.

Inorganic substances - what is it

Inorganic substances - a group of chemical compounds that do not contain elements of carbon, hydrogen or chemical compounds in which carbon is a constituent element. Both organic and inorganic are constituents of cells. The first in the form of life-giving elements, others in the composition of water, minerals and acids, as well as gases.

What is common between organic and inorganic substances

What could be common between two seemingly such concepts-antonyms? It turns out that they have something in common, namely:

  1. Substances of both organic and inorganic origin are composed of molecules.
  2. Organic and inorganic substances can be obtained as a result of a certain chemical reaction.

Organic and inorganic substances - what is the difference

  1. Organic are better known and researched in science.
  2. Organic matter in the world is much more. The number of organic known to science is about a million, inorganic - hundreds of thousands.
  3. Most organic compounds are bonded to each other by the covalent nature of the compound; inorganic bonding to each other is possible using an ionic compound.
  4. There is a difference in the composition of the input elements. Organic substances are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, less commonly nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and halogen elements. Inorganic - consist of all the elements of the periodic table, except carbon and hydrogen.
  5. Organic substances are much more susceptible to the influence of hot temperatures, can be destroyed even at low temperatures. Most inorganic materials are less prone to exposure to intense heat due to the nature of the type of molecular compound.
  6. Organic substances are the constituent elements of the living part of the world (biosphere), inorganic - non-living (hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere).
  7. The composition of organic substances is more complex in structure than the composition of inorganic ones.
  8. Organic substances are characterized by a wide variety of possibilities of chemical transformations and reactions.
  9. Due to the covalent type of bonding between organic compounds, chemical reactions in time last slightly longer than chemical reactions in inorganic compounds.
  10. Inorganic substances cannot be a food product of living things, even more so - some of this type of combination can be deadly for a living organism. Organic matter is a product produced by wildlife, as well as an element of the structure of living organisms.

Does everyone know what is meant by "organic products" and what is their difference from ordinary ones? Let's figure it out!

Organic food: spot the differences

The first difference that catches your eye is the price. The question immediately arises - why does one and the same, at first glance, product cost more if it is labeled “organic”? How is flour for 50 rubles different from flour for 150?

Someone will shrug and just choose what is cheaper.

And we will figure out what the difference is all the same

First of all, organic foods are considered to be those that do not use GMOs, synthetic pesticides and growth regulators, which just carry the greatest danger to health.

For example, flour labeled “organic” will be produced from grain grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers that accelerate growth and in a place near which there are no enterprises with harmful emissions.

I would like to note that “organic food” is not an invention of our time. All components of the product ripen naturally, thanks to the sun, water and care in environmentally friendly conditions.

And for fertilizing the soil and protecting plants from diseases and pests, only organic biological fertilizers and biological products are used.

Our ancestors were engaged in the same organic farming, but because of the pursuit of the amount of the crop, I had to resort to various tricks, which do not always reflect well on the quality of the product

The essence of organic farming, unlike mass farming, is the complete rejection of the use of chemicals and other additives that can harm health and the soil. As a result, farmers get an environmentally friendly crop.

Healthier and tastier


And what does a product grown in environmentally friendly conditions mean?

And the fact that this product is, first of all, healthier, because it does not contain pesticides, nitrates and other harmful substances that our body does not need.

Of course, the result of exposure here is very delayed - all this affects our body gradually, until around the age of 50, problems with pressure, blood vessels, and so on begin. True, we attribute all this to age, but after all, many factors affect our health. And what we eat is far from the last of these factors! Not to say the first.

The taste of ecological products is much brighter and tastier, which is not surprising, because they grow in natural conditions.

Conservation of natural resources

After all, chemical treatment sooner or later depletes the earth and it becomes simply unsuitable for harvest. As a result, hectares of land are empty, the ecosystem is disturbed.

Since it is forbidden to use herbicides and other chemicals in organic farming to kill weeds and pests, much more resources are needed to care for the soil. This also accounts for the higher price of organic products.

Green production

Certifying organizations monitor not only the quality of agriculture, the entire production cycle is under control. In organic products you will not find taste and appearance enhancers, as well as additional additives that seem to facilitate the cooking process, but in fact then affect our health.

Organic Labeling


We figured out the advantages of organic products, now we will learn how to distinguish a really high-quality product from the unfounded “organic” label, behind which unscrupulous manufacturers can hide ordinary mass-produced products.

There are certificates of organic products recognized around the world. The presence of such marks on the packaging ensures that the product is really grown in accordance with all the rules, without the use of pesticides, GMOs, harmful chemical fertilizers.

    One of such signs is “Euro Leaf” () - a sign of the European Organic Product Certification System. This mark is required for all organic products sold in the European Union.

    The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements also has its own certificate - IFOAM - The World Organic Sign was created to replace many other organic signs, the number of which confuses consumers.

    Some countries have their own national certification systems. One such country is Germany. The “Seal-BIO” sign () makes more demands on the quality of products than the organic signs of the European Union certificates, therefore, German consumers are more likely to buy eco-products with the “Seal-BIO” sign.

Having seen one of the certification marks on the package, you can be sure of the quality of the product and that the mark “organic” is not an advertising ploy!

At this stage of evolution, no man can imagine his life without chemistry. Indeed, every day all over the world various chemical reactions take place, without which the existence of all life is simply impossible. In general, in chemistry there are two sections: inorganic and organic chemistry. To understand their main differences, you first need to understand what these sections are.

Inorganic chemistry

It is known that this field of chemistry is studying all physical and chemical properties of inorganic substances, as well as their compounds, while taking into account their composition, structure, as well as the ability to various reactions with the use of reagents and in their absence.

They are both simple and complex. Using inorganic substances, new technically important materials are created that are in demand among the population. To be precise, this section of chemistry deals with the study of those elements and compounds that are not created by wildlife and are not biological material, but are obtained by synthesis from other substances.

In the course of some experiments, it turned out that living beings are capable of producing many inorganic substances, and there is also the possibility of synthesizing organic substances in the laboratory. But, despite this, it is simply necessary to separate these two areas from one another, since there are some differences in the mechanisms of the reactions, structure and properties of the substances in these areas that do not allow combining everything into one section.

Allocate simple and complex inorganic substances. Simple substances include two groups of compounds - these are metals and non-metals. Metals are those elements that are inherent in all metallic properties, and there is also a metallic bond between them. This group includes the following types of elements: alkali metals, alkaline earth, transition, light, semimetals, lanthanides, actinides, as well as magnesium and beryllium. Of all the officially recognized elements of the periodic system, ninety-six elements out of one hundred eighty-one possible, that is, more than half, are attributed to metals.

The most famous elements from non-metallic groups are oxygen, silicon, and hydrogen, while those that are less common are arsenic, selenium, and iodine. Helium and hydrogen are also referred to simple non-metals.

Complex inorganic substances are divided into four groups:

  • Oxides
  • Hydroxides.
  • Salt.
  • Acids

Organic chemistry

This area of \u200b\u200bchemistry explores substances that consist of carbon and other elements, those that come into contact with it, that is, create the so-called organic compounds. These can be substances of an inorganic nature, since a hydrocarbon can attach many different chemical elements to itself.

Most often, organic chemistry is involved synthesis and processing of substances   and their compounds from raw materials of plant, animal or microbiological origin, although, especially recently, this science has grown far beyond the designated framework.

The main classes of organic compounds include: hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, halogen-containing compounds, ethers and esters, aldehydes, ketones, quinones, nitrogen-containing and sulfur-containing compounds, carboxylic acids, heterocyclic, organometallic compounds and polymers.

Substances studied by organic chemistry are very diverse, because due to the presence of hydrocarbons in their composition, they can bind to many other various elements. Of course, organic substances are also part of living organisms in the form of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, which perform various vital functions. The most important of which are energy, regulatory, structural, protective and others. They are part of every cell, every tissue and organ of any living creature. Without them, the normal functioning of the body as a whole, of the nervous system, reproductive and others, is impossible. This means that all organic substances play a huge role in the existence of all life on earth.

The main differences between them

In principle, these two sections are interconnected, but also have some differences. First of all, the composition of organic substances necessarily includes carbon, unlike inorganic, in which it may not be included. There are also differences in structure, in the ability to react to various reagents and created conditions, in structure, in basic physical and chemical properties, in origin, in molecular weight and so on.

In organic matter molecular structure is much more complicatedthan inorganic ones. The latter can melt only at sufficiently high temperatures and are extremely difficult to decompose, in contrast to organic, which have a relatively low melting point. Organic substances have a fairly bulk molecular weight.

Another important difference is that only organic substances have the ability form compounds with the same set of molecules and atomsbut which have different layout options. Thus, completely different substances are obtained that differ in physical and chemical properties. That is, organic matter is prone to such a property as isomerism.

In order to get a good crop, it is necessary not only to water and weed plants in a timely manner, but also to fertilize. They are of different types, so many owners of suburban areas are interested in what dressings and when to bring. We will tell you the difference between organic and mineral fertilizers.

Wastes of plant and animal origin are organic fertilizers. They are available to every gardener, but they can be applied to the soil only in a rotted form. Organics contain all the necessary elements for a good harvest: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. The following compositions are most popular among gardeners:

  1. Cow dung is one of the richest sources of nitrogen. It has a long validity period (up to 7 years). It can be applied only once every 4 years and in small portions. If manure is often added, the soil will be oversaturated with nitrogen, which will lead to the formation of nitrates in vegetables. You need to bring in only rotted manure, otherwise you can transfer pests and weed seeds to the soil. The introduction of raw manure leads to increased plant growth, but the inability to form a good crop.
  2. Bird droppings are the source of all the essential substances needed for plants. It contains bacteriophages that disinfect the soil. This fertilizer should only be mixed with peat or turf, as there is a lot of uric acid in the litter. Another way to use bird droppings is to prepare infusions that must be kept for about 10 days.


  1. Peat is not often used as a nutrient. It gives nitrogen quite poorly and is usually used to improve soil properties. Another area of \u200b\u200bapplication of peat is mixing with other organic top dressing, composting. If you want to make it as fertilizer yourself, then you need to dig peat on the bayonet of a shovel. To prevent the soil from acidifying, use dolomite flour and ash.
  2. Many gardeners make their own compost, which put a variety of organic waste. The baked compost in its properties can replace humus. It contains a large amount of beneficial substances, especially nitrogen. If you use compost, do not immediately after sowing it, immediately sow plants that can accumulate nitrates. These include beets, lettuce and radishes. Together with compost, it is recommended to use potassium and magnesium salts.
  3. Ash contains all the necessary substances, except nitrogen. It is worthwhile to feed the soil with nitrous salts separately, since they will emit ammonia when used together with ash. Do not use ash to feed seedlings. Remember that each plant needs to be fed with organic compounds in due time. If you make them at the wrong time, then there is a risk of not getting the best crop.


Important! If you do not know how to fertilize properly, it is best to apply it to the soil before digging - in the fall or spring.

Advantages and disadvantages of organic fertilizers

The main advantage of organic top dressing is their low price. You yourself can make compost, which will not only saturate the soil with useful elements, but also improve the structure of the soil. It would seem that organic fertilizers consist of some advantages, but they have several disadvantages that need to be considered when using:

  • during preparation and spreading over the soil, the organic substance gives off an unpleasant and pungent odor;
  • if you add too much fertilizing, the plants will be saturated with nitrates;
  • with improper preparation of fertilizing, you can infect the soil with a nematode, helminths or fungi;
  • preparation and distribution of organic fertilizers over the site requires time and effort.

Important! One of the easiest ways to get organic nutrition is to make compost.


To do this, it is enough to mix cleanings, sawdust, pulled out weed grass and other waste in a special pit. After three years, the fertilizer can be applied to the ground.

What is related to mineral salts?

Mineral fertilizers can be found in almost every store for gardeners. They are sold in the form of fine granules, solutions or powders. On the one hand, the use of ready-made forms makes it easier to work with fertilizers, and on the other, it is important to follow all points of the instructions so as not to exceed the dosage.

Mineral salts are manufactured industrially. They are chemical compounds that are almost ready to use - just mix them with water or water well after making them into the ground.

You can divide them into groups:

  1. Nitrogen dressing is necessary for enhanced plant growth. Depending on the compound used, they may contain from 20 to 46% nitrogen. Gardeners use: urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate or water. Urea contains the most nitrogen; it is also called urea. However, it must be used carefully, as it acidifies the soil.
  2. Phosphorus fertilizers are used much less often than nitrogen. They are necessary when the leaves of plants begin to acquire a purple hue or scarlet spots. Most often, double superphosphate is used for top dressing, since it contains more useful substances.
  3. Boric fertilizers are needed almost as often as nitrogen fertilizers. If you notice the curvature of cucumbers, black marks on carrots or rotting of beets, then there is not enough boron in the soil. For a square meter of beds, only 3 grams of boric acid is enough. This amount will solve all problems.
  4. Potash fertilizers are needed when marginal burns appear on the plants - the edges of the leaves turn white, while the cucumbers completely curl. In order to get rid of the deficiency of this substance, it is necessary to add potassium sulfate under the root. Additionally, you can water and spray with a solution of potassium chloride.


Important! Choose mineral fertilizers based on the needs of plants. Only in this case you will get a good harvest and do not overdose the top dressing.

Advantages and disadvantages of mineral fertilizing

Mineral and organic fertilizers are applied to achieve one goal - to get a good harvest. It is more convenient to use ready-made chemical mixtures. They are suitable for quickly getting rid of a deficiency of any trace element, while organics has a prolonged effect and is able to nourish plants throughout the season.

One of the main advantages of mineral top dressing is the acceleration of ripening and ensuring high productivity. In addition, each package of mineral fertilizers contains detailed instructions that will allow even beginners to use this supplement correctly.

The disadvantages of mineral salts include:

  • a brief effect of action (they need to be applied to the soil every year);


  • high cost (when compared with compost, which goes to gardeners for free);
  • the crop is not of the best quality;
  • the soil structure from the application of such fertilizers does not change.

Important! If your site is not the best soil for growing plants, then it is worth mixing it with organic top dressing. Add mineral supplements as needed when the plants show signs of one type of starvation.

Combined fertilizers

There is another type of top dressing - combined. They combine all the advantages of mineral salts and organics. Disadvantages of such fertilizers are absent. The most popular among these additives: Nitrofoska and Nitroammofoska. They contain organic components and salts, but the concentration of the latter is extremely low, so plants do not accumulate harmful substances in themselves.

Organomineral mixtures have a complex composition and can be made in the form of a dry mixture, solution or granules. They practically do not change the acidity of the soil, so they can be used on different soils. The only thing that combined fertilizers are not capable of is to make the soil more loose. If you have clay soil on the site, then it is worth using compost mixtures, peat and sand.

Combined mixtures have different compositions. Most often, nitrogen-phosphorus mixtures and variants with the addition of a third component, potassium, are found. Choosing what top dressing you will make on your site is based on the type of plant being grown and its needs. For example, for tomatoes, options with the addition of potassium are suitable, and for onions, a nitrogen-phosphorus composition is sufficient.