An organic halide is an organic compound containing one or more halogen atoms. Many synthetic organic compounds such as plastic polymers, and a few natural ones, contain halogen atoms; they are known as halogenated compounds. Chlorine is by far the most abundant of the halogens, and the only one needed in relatively large amounts (as chloride ions) by humans. For example, chloride ions play a key role in brain function by mediating the action of the inhibitory transmitter GABA and are also used by the body to produce stomach acid. Iodine is needed in trace amounts for the production of thyroid hormones such as thyroxine. On the other hand, neither fluorine nor bromine are believed to be really essential for humans, although small amounts of fluoride does make teeth enamel somewhat more resistant to attack. Benzene An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon, with the exception of carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon. ... The halogens are a chemical series. ... Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ... A polymer is a long, repeating chain of atoms, formed through the linkage of many molecules called monomers. ... Chemical structure of GABA Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter in widely divergent species. ... The thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), are tyrosine-based hormones produced by the thyroid gland. ...

A key class of organic halides are the haloalkanes, which are halogen containing alkanes. Examples include methane or ethane, with one or more halogens linked, such as chlorine or fluorine. They are known under many chemical and trivial names such as fluorocarbons, chlorocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), etc. They have or had wide use as fire extinguishers, refrigerants, propellants, and solvents, . Some haloalkanes have negative effects on the environment, such as ozone depletion. The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes) are a group of chemical compounds, consisting of alkanes, such as methane or ethane, with one or more halogens linked, such as chlorine or fluorine, making them a type of organic halide. ... An alkane in organic chemistry is a saturated hydrocarbon without cycles, that is, an acyclic hydrocarbon in which the molecule has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms and so has no double bonds. ... The simplest hydrocarbon, methane, is a gas with a chemical formula of CH4. ... Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. ... The halogens are a chemical series. ... General Name, Symbol, Number chlorine, Cl, 17 Chemical series halogens Group, Period, Block 17, 3, p Appearance yellowish green Atomic mass 35. ... General Name, Symbol, Number fluorine, F, 9 Chemical series halogens Group, Period, Block 17, 2, p Appearance pale greenish-yellow gas Atomic mass 18. ... Fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a device used to put out a fire, often in an emergency situation. ... It has been suggested that Refrigerator be merged into this article or section. ... A propellant is a material that is used to move an object by applying a motive force. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ... Global monthly average total ozone amount The term Ozone depletion is used to describe two distinct, but related, observations: a slow, steady decline, of about 3% per decade, in the total amount of ozone in the earths stratosphere during the past twenty years, and a much larger, but seasonal...

See also

• Halogenation

In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction that replaces a hydrogen atom with a halogen atom. ...

References

• B. S. Furnell et al., Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry, 5th edition, Longman/Wiley, New York, 1989.