Many volatile oils are mixtures of terpenes and their derivatives. Terpenes are hydrocarbons having formula C10H16. Terpenes are natural products, and their structures are divided into isoprene units. These units arise from acetate via mevalonic acid and are branched chain, 5-carbon units containing 2-unsaturated bonds.
Isoprenes are also termed as Hemiterpenes, and all the terpenes are derived from isoprene condensation. During the formation of terpenes, the isoprene units are like in a head to tail fashion. The no. of the units incorporated into a particular terpene serves as a basis for the classification of these compounds.
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