The Hammonds Postulate - Organic Chemistry

The Hammond's Postulate - Organic ChemistryThe Hammond's Postulate - as presented by Dr. Hammond in his famous lecture entitled 'Why Not Chemical, Organic, Medicinal or Veterinary?' at the Edinburgh Organic Chemistry Conference of July, 1987, the Hammond's Postulate is stated as follows: 'Every living organism has a distinctive pattern of operation that determines its reproductive capability.' Dr. Hammond then explained that inorganic and organic chemistry does not distinguish between bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and zygotes. He stated: 'The explanation for this species distinction is simple; it is because every cell is self-contained, which means that every cell can grow and reproduce independently of the others'.This statement immediately raises an argument in favor of what may be termed the Hammond's Postulate, that organic chemistry should be focused on living systems. If this were so, then we could think of living cells as the basic constituents of the chemical world, and t he world of chemistry as the system of chemical reactions which effect those cells.In an attempt to dismiss the Hammond's Postulate, one might perhaps mention to a chemist, for example, that there are quite a few living cells in the world that produce chemicals, in other words, that living cells play a very important role in the life of the chemical world. This assertion, though, would be misleading, because there are simply too many living cells, and they each have a different role, for instance, respiratory systems, sebaceous glands, photosynthetic life, etc.What is most interesting, however, is that Dr. Hammond himself used rudimentary biology to support his position. And, if one can call biology rudimentary, as he did, the Hammond's Postulate is indeed the simplest of all the Postulates.Simply stated, the Hammond's Postulate states that all cells in the world are capable of producing chemicals, that is, they are capable of being the cells of living organisms. And, at the same ti me, all cells are also capable of reproducing independently. Since all cells possess the capacity for reproduction, then the cells must be linked, so to speak, together to produce offspring. The central implication is that if a cell lacks the ability to reproduce, it will die, leaving no offspring to reproduce.Nature's miracles are a far cry from those we see in laboratories. It is interesting to note that at the same time as the Hammond's Postulate was articulated, Michael Hart, a famous biologist who was a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, was addressing the same conference as Dr. Hammond. He stated that, 'I am convinced that my whole science can be traced back to the debate between these two men'.The Hammond's Postulate certainly must be taken seriously by organic chemistry, and no doubt, will provide the foundation for a new generation of organic chemists. A strong case can be made for the inclusion of the Hammond's Postulate in any new Organic Chemistry textbook. This theory of fundamental cells in the chemical world must surely be embraced by organic chemists who are deeply concerned with the physiological and even philosophical implications of living systems.