This chapter has been a brief introduction to organic chemistry, with many new types of molecules. You should not be overwhelmed with them, because they are interconnected by very simple reactions; and if you can see the connections, then it will be easier to remember the compounds.

The diagram on the next page is a 'map' showing in outline how one type of compound can be obtained from another. Only the simplest reactions are shown from among the many possible transformations.

The purpose is not to set down every reaction a molecule is capable of, but rather to show in general terms how the different classes of compounds are related.