Organic Compounds

Organic Compounds

Overview and Importance

• Organic compounds are those that contain carbon atoms. In the context of medicine, these compounds are foundational to both the structure of the human body and the drugs that are used to treat it.
• Organic chemistry studies the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and synthesis of organic compounds.
• It is the chemistry of carbon containing compounds, which include not only hydrocarbons but also compounds with any number of other elements, including hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur.

Types of Organic Compounds

• Alcohols: These include methanol and ethanol. They have a hydroxyl (-OH) group, and are often used in the creation of drugs and antiseptics.
• Aldehydes and Ketones: These contain a carbonyl group. They are often involved in metabolic processes, and are therefore important in understanding human health.
• Carboxylic Acids: These include acetic acid and benzoic acid. They contain a carboxyl group (-COOH), and are often involved in the creation of drugs.
• Amines: These include compounds like dopamine and epinephrine. They contain an amino group (-NH2) and are especially important in the field of neurochemistry.
• Amino Acids: These are the building blocks of proteins and include compounds like alanine and valine. They contain both a carboxyl and an amino group.

Functional Groups

• Organic compounds are characterised by functional groups - specific groupings of atoms within molecules that have their own distinctive chemical properties.
• Knowledge of common functional groups, such as carboxyl groups, amino groups, or methyl groups, is key to understanding the reactivity and behaviour of organic compounds, and by extension, how they function within the human body or within pharmaceuticals.

Drug Design and Organic Compounds

• Many drugs are organic compounds, and the understanding and manipulation of these compounds is key to the development of new medicines.
• The principles of Stereochemistry are particularly important in drug design, given that different stereoisomers of the same compound can have drastically different (and sometimes harmful) biological effects.
• Prodrug is a compound that undergoes transformation within the body to produce the active drug. This transformation can happen metabolically or through a process triggered by the body.

Role in Medicine

• Organic compounds play a crucial role in medicine, from the fundamental cellular processes that sustain life, to the drugs that treat disease.
• A deep understanding of organic chemistry can contribute to advancements in everything from drug discovery to the development of new diagnostic methods.