Organic matter

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Organic matter (or organic material) is matter that has come from a once-living organism; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds. The definition of organic matter varies upon the subject it is being used for.

Contents 1 Soil organic matter 2 Decay 3 Organic chemistry 4 Vitalism 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Soil organic matter

The organic matter in soil derives from plants and animals. In a forest, for example, leaf litter and woody material falls to the forest floor. This is sometimes referred to as organic material.^[1] When it decays to the point in which it is no longer recognizable it is called soil organic matter. When the organic matter has broken down into a stable humic substances that resist further decomposition it is called humus. Thus soil organic matter comprises all of the organic matter in the soil exclusive of the material that has not decayed.^[2]

One of the advantages of humus is that it is able to withhold water and nutrients, therefore giving plants the capacity for growth. Another advantage of humus is that it helps the soil to stick together which allows nematodes, or microscopic bacteria, to easily decay the nutrients in the soil.^[3]

There are several ways to quickly increase the amount of humus. Combining compost, plant or animal materials/waste, or green manure with soil will increase the amount of humus in the soil.

1. Compost: Decomposed organic material.
2. Plant and animal material and waste: Dead plants or plant waste such as leaves or bush and tree trimmings, or animal manure.
3. Green manure: Plants or plant material that is grown for the sole purpose of being incorporated with soil.

These three materials supply nematodes and bacteria with nutrients for them to thrive and produce more humus, which will give plants enough nutrients to survive and grow.^[3]

== The organic industry has seen an explosion of growth in the past few years. In 1992, sales had already reached $1.5 billion. Today the market is worth almost ten times that, and by 2009 it's predicted the market will double again to be worth close to $32 billion. Consumer demand for natural, organic foods is booming and shows no signs of slowing down.

Pesticides and Pregnant Women For pregnant women and infants, going organic is a good idea since they can be especially sensitive to the effects of chemical pesticides and residues. Organic: Organic foods are foods that are grown without synthetic chemical pesticides or fertilizers: consumers who buy organic are looking to avoid dietary ingestion of such chemicals. The organic industry has been surprisingly contentious, with some media contrarians claiming organic foods have just as many pesticide residues as conventionally grown foods. However, a 2002 study by Consumers Union (CU), the Yonkers, NY-based publisher of Consumer Reports magazine showed that customers who buy organic are exposed to about a third as many residues as those who buy conventionally grown foods.

Pesticides: There is no conclusive evidence on whether or not levels of pesticide residue that remain on conventional produce are high enough to be harmful. Most experts agree that the amount of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables pose a very small health risk, especially if you wash or peel your produce before eating it. In the long run, the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables far outweigh any potential health risks.

Buying organic is simply a good way to ease concerns over synthetic materials--drugs and hormones in meat, nitrates in foods, irradiated foods, additives, and artificial colors—in our food.

How to find Organic Foods Most Important Foods To Buy Organically •Baby Food •Strawberries •Rice •Oats •Milk •Bell Peppers •Bananas •Green Beans •Peaches •Apples (Source: E: The Environmental Magazine, www.emagazine.com)Look for labels that say “Certified Organic.” Labels such as “All-Natural” or “Naturally grown” are fine and well, but they are NOT the same as certified organic—which demands the fulfillment of certain regulations. Producers and handlers must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent to sell, label, or represent their products as "100 percent "organic," "organic," or "made with organic."

Some things are more important to buy organic than others. Some fruits and vegetables require very few pesticides for growth or--due to tough skins or peels--absorb fewer residues, while others are sprayed with more, and act like sponges, absorbing residues that are difficult to wash off entirely.

[edit] Decay

Organic matter may be defined as material that is capable of decay, or the product of decay (humus), or both. Usually the matter will be the remains of recently living organisms, and may also include still-living organisms. Polymers and plastics, although they may be organic compounds, are usually not considered organic material, due to their poor ability to decompose. A clam's shell, while biotic, would not be considered organic matter by this definition because of its inability to decay.

[edit] Organic chemistry

Measurements of organic matter generally measure only organic compounds or carbon, and so are only an approximation of the level of once-living or decomposed matter. Some definitions of organic matter likewise only consider "organic matter" to refer to only the carbon content, or organic compounds, and do not consider the origins or decomposition of the matter. In this sense, not all organic compounds are created by living organisms, and living organisms do not only leave behind organic material. A clam's shell, for example, while biotic, does not contain much organic carbon, so may not be considered organic matter in this sense. Conversely, urea is one of many organic compounds that can be synthesized without any biological activity.

[edit] Vitalism

The equation of "organic" with living organisms comes from the now-abandoned idea of vitalism that attributed a special force to life that alone could create organic substances. This idea was first questioned after the abiotic synthesis of urea by Friedrich Wöhler in 1828.

[edit] See also

• Biomass
• Detritus
• Humus
• Natural organic matter
• Organic geochemistry
• Total organic carbon

Compare with:

• Biotic material
• Biological tissue
• Biomolecule
• Cellular component
• Organic production

[edit] References