Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and its compounds.
"Carbon is a versatile element that readily combines with both itself and many other atoms to make a nearly limitless number of chemical compounds, millions have been recorded. Even though most carbon compounds have nothing to do with life, the chemistry of carbon and its compounds is known as organic chemistry. This misnaming of carbon chemistry arose because the earliest known carbon containing chemicals, such as sugar, the acetic acid in vinegar, alcohol, soaps, and vegetable dyes were all derived from plants and animals. Most of the substances we see in everyday life are organic."
http://www.istl.org/02-winter/refereed.html
