Under the proper conditions, either ammonia or a primary amine reacts with a ketone
or an aldehyde to form an imine. Imines are nitrogen analogues of ketones and aldehydes,
with a carbon–nitrogen double bond in place of the carbonyl group. Imines are
commonly involved as synthetic intermediates, both in biosynthesis and in industrial synthesis.
One of the best methods for making amines (both in organisms and in the lab)
involves making an imine, then reducing it to the amine