What's a terpene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whats a terpene - Essay ExampleTerpene is commonly strengthened up from an isoprene which is a type of a hydrocarbon that has five carbon atoms which are attached to the eight total heat atoms with the salmagundiula C5 H8 (Stewart 258). Terpenes usually occur after a biological formation of a combination of devil molecules of acetic acid and mevalonic acid (C6 H12 O4) which is converted to isopentenyl pyrophosphate that latter transforms to isopentenyl compound that leads to occurrence of terpenes and terpenoids (which are oxygenated derivatives of the hydrocarbons that make up the terpene).Terpenes that are considered to be the true ones are those that are grouped according to the number of isoprene units in the molecules which usually includes two units of monoterpenes (C10 H16), six units of triterpenes (C30 H48), three units of sesquiterpene (C15 H24), eight units of tetraterpenes (C40 H64) and four units of diterpenes (C20 H32).Terpenes are apply to make turpentine (that c omes from the prepare terpene) which has several monoterpenes, resin (consisting of rosin acid and diterpenes), and even steroids (which are made from conversion of triterpene squalene that is usually obtained in the liver oil of sharks). Since terpene (diterpenes, monoterpenes and even sesquterpenes) is a constituent of the essential oils that are in many plants and animals, it is used to make fragrances used in perfumes and even the natural food additives.Other examples of terpene in its different form other than those mentioned above include vitamin A, hops (used to make some brands of beer), contribute to making of insecticides and recent question by biochemists in Norwich, England discovered that terpene through its bioactive cyclic molecule iridoid is a building block to capability anticancer agents (monoterpene indole alkaloids). Since plants that produce terpenes are aromatic, they are used in cooking. Terpenes are also an important divisor in making of medicine such as marinol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and