Background
Inorganic chemistry focuses on the bonding, structure, and reactions of all elements of the periodic table other than carbon. Historically, organic chemistry was considered to be the chemistry of living systems and inorganic chemistry that of non-living systems. However, in 1827 Friedrich Wohler synthesized urea, an organic compound (ie isolated from living systems), entirely from inorganic materials. "This result contradicted the conventional wisdom of the day, which held that only living things could make organic compounds." The old definition became increasingly archaic in the 20th century with the discovery of many metals and inorganic compounds, such as nitric oxide (NO), that are essential to living organisms. Since the time of Wohler organic chemistry has become the chemistry of carbon. Not to say that carbon is not involved in inorganic compounds. In fact a whole field of chemistry called organometallic chemistry is devoted to the study of the interactions of carbon with metals. Please see the American Chemical Society website For more information on inorganic chemistry and careers for inorganic chemists.