Knowra Terpene Terpene Terpenes are hydrocarbons assembled from isoprene units, produced by plants and other organisms. Their structures range from small volatile molecules to large polycyclic compounds.
Isoprene : A five-carbon hydrocarbon that serves as the structural unit in terpene biosynthesis. Terpene carbon skeletons are built from isoprene-derived five-carbon units.
Mevalonate pathway : A metabolic pathway that produces isopentenyl pyrophosphate from acetyl-CoA. It supplies activated isoprene units for terpene production in many organisms.
Essential oil : A concentrated mixture of volatile aromatic compounds extracted from plants, often rich in terpenes. Many characteristic scents in essential oils come from volatile terpenes.
Plant defense : The physical and chemical traits plants use to resist herbivores, pathogens, and environmental stress. Many terpenes deter herbivores, inhibit microbes, or signal damage.
Terpenoid : A terpene-related natural product that has been chemically modified, often by oxidation or rearrangement. Terpenes are hydrocarbons; terpenoids include their modified, often oxygen-containing derivatives.
Isoprenoid : A broad family of compounds biosynthetically related to isoprene, including terpenes and modified derivatives. This broader family includes terpenes and their oxygenated or otherwise modified relatives.
MEP pathway : A metabolic pathway that produces isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate from central metabolites. Plants use this route, especially in plastids, to supply terpene precursors.
Limonene : A cyclic monoterpene found in citrus peels and other plants, with two enantiomeric forms. It is a familiar terpene used in fragrances, flavorings, and cleaning products.
Herbivore-induced plant volatile : A volatile compound released by plants after herbivore attack that can alter interactions with other organisms. Terpenes can recruit predators or parasitoids that attack plant-eating insects.
Steroid : A lipid characterized by a four-ring carbon framework, biosynthetically derived from triterpenes. Steroids share terpene ancestry but have a distinct conserved ring architecture.
Show all 29