Justus Liebig is considered to be the founder of organic chemistry. Liebig was one of the first chemists to organize a modern laboratory that became the model for teaching practical chemistry. Liebig developed an instrument for determining the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen content of organic materials. In 1832, he and Friedrich Wohler published their study of the oil of bitter almonds which proved that a single compound can behave like an element in a chemical reaction. This became the foundation of the theory of compound radicals.
Liebig advanced the idea that chemistry could revolutionize farming and greatly increases yields in a book that he wrote. In this book, he discussed plant nutrition, and chemical transformations in plants and animals.
Liebig is best remembered for a process for reducing silver salts to metallic silver that became the basis for modern mirror making.
