Understand the immense significance of carbon compounds, establishing them as a distinct branch of chemistry known as organic chemistry.
Explain how the vast variety of possible carbon compounds arises from the unique ability of carbon atoms to form extended chains and functional rings linked by continuous C-C bonds.
Identify that the main sources of organic compounds are living, or previously living, materials from plants and animals.
Acknowledge fossil fuels as a major derived source of feedstock for the global petrochemical industry.
Describe how professional chemists and engineers modify organic molecules to synthesize new, highly useful chemical materials, including polymers, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, flavorings, dyes, and modern detergents.
