Organic Chemistry: Terpenes, Fibres, and Natural Compounds

Triterpenes consist of six isoprene units and have the molecular formula C₃₀H₄₈. The linear triterpene squalene, the major constituent of shark liver oil, is derived from the reductive coupling of two molecules of farnesyl pyrophosphate.

Silicone rubber is a rubber-like material containing silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Silicone rubber is generally non-reactive, stable, and resistant to extreme environments and temperatures from -55°C to +300°C while still maintaining its useful properties. It is used in cooking, baking, and food storage products; apparel such as undergarments, sportswear, and footwear etc..

Prenol is a natural alcohol. It is one of the most simple terpenes. It is a clear colourless oil that is reasonably soluble in water and miscible with most common organic solvents. It has a fruity odour and is used occasionally in perfumery. It is a hemiterpenoid.

Nerolidol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in the essential oils of many types of plants and flowers. There are two isomers of nerolidol, cis and trans, which differ in the geometry about the central double bond.

Myrcene, or β-myrcene, is an olefinic natural organic compound. It is classified as a hydrocarbon, but more precisely as a monoterpene. Terpenes are dimers of isoprene and myrcene is one of the most important.

Lignin or lignen is a complex chemical compound most commonly derived from wood, and an integral part of the secondary cell walls of plants and some algae.

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as synthetics through step-growth polymerization such as polycarbonate and polybutyrate.

Hemiterpenes consist of a single isoprene unit. Isoprene itself is considered the only hemiterpene, but oxygen-containing derivatives such as prenol and isovaleric acid are hemiterpenoids.

Brilliant Green is one of the triarylmethane dyes. It is closely related to malachite green.Brilliant Green has been used to colour silk and wool.

Aniline Blue WS is a mixture of methyl blue and water blue. It may also be either one of them. Aniline blue or its constituents are used to stain collagen, as the fibre stain in Masson's trichrome.

Cycloartenol is an important type of stanol found in plants. The biosynthesis of cycloartenol starts from the triterpenoid squalene. It is the first precursor in the biosynthesis of other stanols and sterols.

Squalene is a hydrocarbon and a triterpene, and is a natural and vital part of the synthesis of cholesterol, steroid hormones and vitamin D in the human body. Squalene is used in cosmetics, and more recently as an immunologic adjuvant in vaccines.

A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a specific arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.