Synthetic urea

The discovery of synthetic urea challenged the belief that organic compounds could only be created by living organisms, showing that urea could be synthesized from inorganic materials. This breakthrough led to the recognition of organic chemistry as a valid field of study independent of the source of the compounds.
 Friedrich Wöhler Germany 1828 Synthetic urea

The discovery of synthetic urea challenged the belief that organic compounds could only be created by living organisms, showing that urea could be synthesized from inorganic materials. This breakthrough led to the recognition of organic chemistry as a valid field of study independent of the source of the compounds.