According to Federation definitions which obtained in at least the early 2360s, organic was an adjective which described carbon-based lifeforms or compounds. As Beverly Crusher and other members of the USS Enterprise-D made clear, organic did not mean simply "something that was alive", as inorganic life was possible. (TNG: "Home Soil")

Examples and properties

Plasma coolant reacts violently with organic material, liquifing it on contact. (Star Trek: First Contact)

The shapeshifting locket Odo received from the Rakhari Croden was identified by Doctor Julian Bashir as an amalgam of organic matter and a sort of a crystal. (DS9: "Vortex")