Question

According to vital force theory the organic compound can only be obtained from?
(A). Living organisms
(B). Dead organisms
(C). Both living and dead organisms
(D). None of the above

Answer 1

- Hint: To answer this question you just need to focus on the name of the theory to get an idea about its relation with organisms. You can focus especially on the word “vital”. Now you can answer this question easily.

Complete step-by-step solution -
A Swedish chemist J.J.Berzelius defined this theory in 1815, setting down three principles with it:
Organic compounds cannot be made in the laboratory from inorganic compounds.
The synthesis of organic compounds requires a vital force.
Only living organisms (God-given) contain this vital force.
The word ‘vital’ derives from the Latin term ‘vita’ which means life. This theory emphasizes a special force or a living force or presence of life as basic requirements for the formation of organic compounds. This theory does not account for the synthesis of organic compounds in the laboratory.
This theory talks about the production of organic compounds only under the influence of a mysterious force existing in the living organisms.

Hence the correct option is A.

Additional information: The main difference between living and nonliving things is that a living organism is or was once alive, whereas a non-living thing has never been alive. Non-living is not the same as being dead because non-living things were never alive and therefore cannot die.

Note: In 1828 AD, Friedrich Wohlev, a German chemist had synthesized an organic compound ‘urea’ from simple inorganic compound potassium cyanate and ammonium chloride in the laboratory. This theory rejected the vital force theory.