What does the term inorganic refer to?

The term inorganic refers specifically to substances that are not derived from living matter. In the context of chemistry, inorganic compounds typically include minerals, metals, and non-living materials, and they usually do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, which are characteristic of organic compounds. The definition of inorganic broadly encompasses all materials that are not associated with biological processes or organisms.

Understanding the nature of inorganic materials is crucial because it helps distinguish between different types of substances in science. For example, water, salts, and metals fall under the inorganic category, whereas sugars, proteins, and lipids are found in organic chemistry due to their association with living organisms and carbon-based structures.