Short description
A natural compound is a substance produced by bacteria, animals, fungi or plants that fulfills a biological function.

Detailed description

A large part of the currently used active substances is derived from natural compounds, which have been optimized by scientists for their application in humans. They fulfill a special function in the producing organisms like for example the defense against predators. Using high-throughput methods, scientists screen different organisms and use the identified substances to compile substance libraries, which can then be searched for specific functions.