15 Examples of Organic and Inorganic Matter

Everything that surrounds us can be classified as organic matter or inorganic matter.

Characteristics of organic matter

Characteristics of inorganic matter

Around us, organic matter and inorganic matter are rarely separated. For example, a stone is made of organic matter, but on it multiple organisms such as moss, mushrooms or small insects. Glasses are made of inorganic matter, but they can be covered with tiny bacteria, which are living things and therefore are organic matter. We can leave organic remains of our skin on any surface.

While our body is made primarily of organic matter (since all tissues and organs are formed by it) there are many you go out Y minerals (inorganic compounds) that we need in addition to water.

Examples of organic matter

1. Sugar. Despite being very similar in appearance to coarse salt (inorganic substance), sugar differs by an essential characteristic: it is organic. The substance from which it is made is sucrose, whose molecule is made up exclusively of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It's one of the disaccharides.
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2. Paper. It is a sheet formed mainly by the organic substance cellulose, which comes from vegetable fibers. In the manufacture of paper, multiple inorganic substances can intervene, but due to the fact that it is made of cellulose, we consider it mainly organic matter.
3. Starch. It is an organic compound made up of two different glucose molecules. Vegetables store their energy in starch. We can find it in the flours and pastry products.
4. Milk. The milk that we usually consume is an animal product and, therefore, is an organic substance. It is mainly composed of lactose, various lipids and caseins (a type of protein).
5. Spider silk. It is a fiber made of protein. They are used by spiders to hunt insects, to build nests and protect their eggs, and to travel through the air.
6. Soap. It is made of organic matter of synthetic origin from a chemical reaction between an alkali (inorganic) and a lipid (organic).
7. Corn oil. Like all oils, it is a type of lipid. Because they are hydrophobic at the cellular level, oils can never fully mix with water.
8. Nails. Despite the fact that when we cut them we do not feel pain, the nails are part of the organic matter of our body. They are made up of dead cells that contain keratin, which is a form of protein.

Examples of inorganic matter

1. Salt. Table salt is an inorganic substance made up of sodium and chlorine.
2. Gold. It is a pure chemical element. It is a soft and heavy metal, which was traditionally used to create coins. Due to its high resistance to corrosion, it is used in industry and in electronics.
3. Glass. Although we are primarily familiar with human-made glass, it can also be found in nature. For example, obsidian. The glass that we see in everyday objects is made from silica sand, sodium carbonate and limestone, melting them at 1,500ºC.
4. Chlorine, bleach, or bleach. What we commonly know as chlorine, bleach, or bleach is actually sodium hypochlorite, a compound of chlorine, sodium, and oxygen.
5. Distilled water. In nature, water contains an enormous amount of organic substances, even water suitable for human consumption. But the substance of water is made up of molecules that contain only hydrogen and oxygen, that is, it is an inorganic substance. To obtain pure water, the process of distillation that, through the vaporization Y condensation successive water, guarantees that there is no foreign substance in the final result.
6. Potassium. It is a type of alkali metal. It is one of the inorganic substances that we need for the proper functioning of our body. It is involved in muscle contraction, neuromuscular activity, and cell development, among other functions.
7. Iron. It's one of the metals more abundant in the earth's crust. It has been used by humans to create tools and other types of objects since prehistoric times. However, it is also a substance that our body needs, although in such small proportions that they are not even visible.

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