= Organic compound
An <organic compound> belongs to the conventional chemistry of carbon-based molecular frameworks, including hydrocarbons and their functionalized derivatives. The definition is practical and historical rather than a claim that every carbon-containing substance is organic.
Carbon dioxide and simple carbonates are usually treated as inorganic. Conversely, an organic compound need not have been produced by a living organism: a laboratory synthesis can give the same molecular identity as a natural source.
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