The vocabulary of organic chemistry can be a
confusing, bewildering barrier to mastery of the subject. The
Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry is intended to serve as
a bridge between a basic organic chemistry course, and the
complexity of organic chemistry in the real world. Each
Illustrated Glossary entry includes a definition, an illustration,
links to related terms (in the Illustrated Glossary as well as
Wikipedia). This Glossary is designed to clarify unclear,
confusing, and erroneous organic chemistry definitions. It is not
intended to be encyclopedic or to replace Wikipedia, but instead
to supplement classroom and textbook learning. In addition, it is
intended to provide context for organic chemistry vocabulary as
used in the author's Chem 14C, Chem 14D, Chem 30A, Chem 30B, and
Chem 30C courses at UCLA.
To facilitate students' varied learning styles, each Illustrated
Glossary entry includes both a text description as well as one or
more illustrative graphics. Videos are used as well, where
appropriate.
The author hopes the Glossary will ease the
student's struggle towards mastery of organic chemistry, and to
provide a pathway for the curious to explore concepts and their
connections in more depth.