🧪 Containing this chemical 🧪 A plant chemical

sesquiterpene

1 9.9

A natural chemical in plants and essential oils that helps make their smell

noun
/ˌsɛs.kwɪˈtɜr.piːn/

Specialized

: sesquiterpeno

For example, Langenheim helps clarify the misleading trade term "essential oil," which refers to volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Examples

Many plants produce sesquiterpenes, which can have beneficial effects on human health.
Is it a monoterpene, sesquiterpene, Diterpene?
The aromatic properties of sesquiterpenes make them valuable in the fragrance industry.
Sesquiterpenes are important compounds found in many essential oils, contributing to their unique aromas.

Synonyms

terpene

vssesquiterpene

Specialized

1 8.4

A natural substance in plants that gives them their smell and appears in essential oils and resins

is a specific type made of three isoprene units within that class

How Big

triterpene

Specialized

9.6

sesquiterpene

Specialized

1 9.9

Surface Forms

sesquiterpene singular

sesquiterpenes plural

Morphology

sesquiterpene = terpene (semi-transparent) = sesqui + terpene

The combining form 'sesqui-' conveys a numeric/technical relation and is not widely known, so while 'terpene' identifies the chemical class, the full meaning is partly specialized.

Etymology

Sesquiterpene joins sesqui- meaning 'one and a half' and terpene, which shares the same root as 'turpentine' (a tree oil). So a sesquiterpene is like 'one and a half' terpenes — a molecule made of three small building blocks — which helps explain why these compounds are common in essential oils and plant smells.