Vital Force Theory

According to this theory, a vital force is responsible for formation of organic compounds. It was given by Berzilius, a Swedish chemist.
In 19th century, leading physiologists believed that processes within living organisms were unique and could not be duplicated in the laboratory. Hence, the in-vitro synthesis of 'organic' compounds was believed to be impossible. It was postulated that living organisms contained a 'vital force' that was the very essence of life. This dogma pervaded art and science. Vitalism held that no substance produced by living organisms could be synthesised by combining inanimate chemicals in a lifeless container in the laboratory. To attempt such a task was considered a futile endeavour due to the absence of a 'vital force', an enabling factor present in all living things but absent from inanimate objects. Vitalists believed that life cannot be understood in terms of chemical or physical properties alone. There was a hidden synergy within all living things, which exceeded the sum of their material parts.
 was rejected in 1823 when Friedrich Wöhler synthesized first organic compound urea from an inorganic compound Ammonium cyanate. Woehler found that urea, an 'organic' substance, could be synthesized in vitro without any 'vital force' or living organism. Woehler had discovered that urea could be produced by evaporating an isomeric solution of ammonium cyanate. This was the first organic synthesis, a milestone in clinical chemistry.
Category:Chemistry