Answer to Question #7217 in Organic Chemistry for Harjyot Singh

Question

Hello,
I had a problem in understanding the concept of heteroatoms, which is described as elements replacing hydrogen in an organic compound.
see in a organic compound, say methane, we replace one hydrogen with Cl and it becomes ch3cl and Cl is a heteroatom.

now lets take the case of CHO. (Aldehyde group) why is it also called a heteroatom ? see because in an organic compound say - propane we add aldehyde group ,this is happening -

CH3CH2CH3, CHO. - CH3CH2CHO
so isint only O replacing two hydrogen atoms? so shouldn't O be the heteroatom but no we call the whole group the heteroatom,

for which the only explanation I can think of is, for say to make propanal,
we add
ethyl + CHO group,
that is CH3CH2 + CHO
that makes sense as from ethane, we are removing one hydrogen and the whole CHO is replacing it.is this right?

Sir, please explain where am I going wrong? I hate concepts not being clear.
thank yiu

Answer 1

In organic chemistry , a heteroatom is any atom that is not carbon or hydrogen .
Usually, the term is used to indicate that
non-carbon atoms have
replaced
carbon(not a hydrogen!!!) in the
backbone of the molecular
structure.
Typical heteroatoms
are nitrogen, oxygen , sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine,
bromine, and iodine.