The answer is interesting, as there are two opposing sides to this issue. Organic farmers and gardeners contend the word organic means that synthetic chemicals are not used in farming or gardening processes. Chemists chuckle at this interpretation of the word, because in chemistry, organic is defined simply as any molecule containing carbon atoms. Many synthetic chemicals are therefore considered organic by the chemists of the world, simply because they contain carbon. Technically, both sides are correct, although there is a huge distinction that must be taken into consideration.
Carbon is the basic building block of life.
When the plant life of millions of years ago became extinct and settled into the earth, it was transformed into fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, leaving plenty of carbon embedded in these fuels. 2 Technically, these chemicals are organic because they re derived from what was once plant life. The ancient chemical stocks are altered and synthesized in laboratories to be similar to the physiological chemicals of today, which is why they work so well at killing insects and plants they can enter their living systems and wreak havoc. Many synthetic organic chemicals make their way into human bodies as well, accumulating in the fat cells and fooling the body into thinking they belong there. Unfortunately, synthetic organic chemicals can mimic natural human hormones, thereby dangerously interfering with the body s normal functioning.