AP BIOLOGY

LABORATORY REVIEW

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
In 1828, Friedrich Wöhler artificially produced urea (organic compound) by an internal rearrangement of the atoms of ammonium cyanate (inorganic compound). What important principle did this experiment show?
A
Organic compounds can be synthesised without the need of a vital force
B
Inorganic compounds are essential for living organisms.
C
Organic compounds are simpler substances than inorganic compounds.
D
Vitalism
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Wohler was not attempting to dispel the vital force theory during this experiment, he was simply trying to make ammonium cyanate. When he ended up making urea, it dispelled the vital force theory. This was an important experiment, which led to the start of organic chemistry as we know it today.

Detailed explanation-2: -Friedrich Wöhler was the first to synthesize an organic compound from an inorganic substance. In 1828, he synthesized urea by slowly evaporating a water solution of ammonium cyanate, which he had prepared by adding silver cyanate to ammonium chloride.

Detailed explanation-3: -Friedrich Wohler was able to dispel the vital force theory. The vital force theory stated organic compounds could only be created from other organic compounds not from inorganic compounds. Wohler successfully synthesized urea from inorganic materials which dispelled this theory.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1828, german chemist Wohler prepared urea in a laboratory from ammonium cyanate. This was the first organic compound synthesized artificiallyfrom inorganic materials.

There is 1 question to complete.