Dictionary of Environmental Health
Means pertaining to, or deriving from, nature (i.e. they arise or are derived from plants or animals). Organic chemicals are broadly defined as those containing carbon. They can be highly complex, consisting of long molecular chains or ring structures.
When classified by the arrangement of their carbon atoms organic compounds are broadly grouped into four classifications as follows:
| • | Aliphatic compounds have open carbon chains that may contain single, double or triple bonds. |
| • | Alicyclic compounds have closed rings of carbon atoms that may have single or multiple bonds. |
| • | Aromatic compounds have at least one BENZENE RING. |
| • | Heterocyclic compounds have closed rings containing atoms of carbon together with one or more other elements (typically nitrogen, oxygen or sulphur). The carbon atoms may have single or multiple bonds with other atoms in the ring. |
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