Origins of Organic Chemistry

Vital Force Theory:

Jons Jacob Berzelius introduced Organic Chemistry in 1907. He defined it as the study of materials present in all nature. He believed that all living beings had a force called "Vital Force".  Because of this force humans, plants and animals were able to produce certain substances which could not be created without it. This was termed as Vitalism. Hence nobody even bothered to create any organic substance in lab.

Downfall of Vital Force Theory:

As nobody tried creating Organic Substances, it was bound to be created accidentally. In the year 1828 Friedrich Wohler did an experiment which changed the very ground of Organic Chemistry. He boiled Ammonium Cyanate in water, and found that it yielded long crystals. These crystals were not of Ammonium Cyanate. They were of Urea (An Organic substance).

Reaction:

NH4OCN = OC(NH2)2

NH4OCN= Ammonium Cyanate (Inorganic Compound)

OC(NH2)2=Urea (Organic Compound)

This was first time someone had ever produced organic substance in lab. This destroyed Vitalism but it took a while to completely replace Vitalism.

This experiment led to more experimentation and finally Organic Chemistry came to be a proper science.