Question

Which one of the following is organochlorine?

Answer 1

The organochlorine is an organic compound containing chlorine. It can be a chlorocarbon or a chlorinated hydrocarbon. It contains no less than one atom of chlorine which is covalently bonded with the carbon and it affects the chemical behaviour of the entire molecule.

Complete answer: Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane is commonly known as DDT. It is a colourless, tasteless, and nearly odourless and a crystalline chemical compound. DDT is an organochlorine. The chemical name of DDT is 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane. DDT has an analogous structure to insecticides methoxychlor and acaricide dicofol. It is extremely hydrophobic in nature and is almost insoluble in water. It is soluble in almost all of the organic solvents including, fats and oils. DDT is not found naturally, it is synthesized by chemical reactions in the presence of an acidic catalyst, between chloral and the two equivalents of chlorobenzene. DDT functions as a pesticide by opening sodium ion channels in insects in their neurons. It causes a surge in sodium ions in the neurons which results in stimulating them to fire spontaneously. This leads to muscular spasms and the eventual death of the insect.
So the correct answer is option D.
Additional Information:
DDT was first produced in 1874 by an Austrian chemist Othmar Zeidler. Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller discovered its insecticidal action in 1939. The Nobel Prize in Physiology was awarded to Müller in 1948 for the discovery of high efficiency and the establishment of DDT as a contact poison effective against a few arthropods.

Note: DDT is marketed under many trade names which include, Chlorophenothane, Cezarex, Dinocide, Guesarol, Ixodes, Gesarol, Dicophane, Neocid, and Zerdane. Commercial DDT is the mixture of a few closely–related compounds to nullify the toxicity of DDT and to decrease the negative effects on the environment.