The flora and fauna of the world contain a vast array of organic molecules that
can be isolated, studied and put to use in improving the quality of our lives. Many of
these natural products find applications as flavors, fragrances, dyes and pharmaceuticals. Beneficial compounds that are obtained from plants and animals can also be modified by chemical means, for instance, through the alteration of one or more functional groups, to obtain molecules with even better properties. The essential oils of seeds, leaves and flowers are examples of sources of natural products that have proven to be of use to humans. The flavor of vanilla, the antiseptic agent camphor, the solvent turpentine and the insect repellant citronella are all essential oils that have been extracted from plant material.