This is because historically, it was thought that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms. However, we now know that many organic compounds can be synthesized in the laboratory.

Here are some other terms that might be used, depending on the context:

* Organics (a shortened form of "organic compounds")

* Hydrocarbons (specifically referring to compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen)

* Organic molecules (emphasizes the molecular nature of these compounds)