A compound that contains carbon. However, there are some carbon-containing compounds that are inorganic such as carbides and carbonates as well as some oxides of carbon such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, as well as graphite and diamond that are inorganic. The term organic is historical and dates from an age when it was believed that compounds had a connection with living organisms and could be synthesized through alchemy. Organic compounds include all living materials, polymers, rubbers, carbohydrates, fats and oils, vitamins, proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids.