Higher Learning LV Staff
Aug 13, 20212 min
Updated: Jul 10, 2022
The following homework assignment teaches students about the topic of the aromatic flavor* molecules produces by cannabis/hemp/marijuana called terpenes.
*Flavonoids, despite their name, deliver only pigment to the plants that produce them, not flavor.
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Three primary families of wellness molecules are produced by the cannabis/hemp/marijuana plant species: Cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. This homework assignment examines the major and minor terpenes derived from cannabis, including their general characteristics, wellness efficacies, and safety profiles.
Terpenes, produced in the nearly microscopic glandular trichomes of the flowers of the plant, are the aromatic flavor molecules that give cannabis its sometimes pungent fragrance—especially during the latter stages of flowering, immediately prior to harvest. They are a class of lipid (fat) molecules that features a distinct and repeating set of five carbon atoms called an isoprene. Isoprenes combine to form terpenes.
Beyond major and minor categories that indicate their relative presence in the cannabis genome, scientists categorize terpenes in several different categories based on their molecular and chemical characteristics.
It's an interesting model, because isoprenes literally stack on each other, somewhat like legos. Larger and larger terpene compounds can be created by combining multiple isoprene molecules.
It's an interesting model, because isoprenes literally stack on each other, somewhat like legos. Larger and larger terpenes can be created by combining multiple isoprene molecules.
Isoprene molecules, often called isoprene units, join with other molecules to form compounds. Thus, the most simple and molecularly light terpene category, monoterpenes, features two isoprene molecules. The most sophisticated and molecularly heavy terpene type, tetraterpenes, features eight isoprene units.
Monoterpenes: Most simple and lightest terpene type. Examples: Camphor, citral, limonene, menthol, nerol, and pinene. Two isoprene units; 10 carbon atoms.
Sesquiterpenes: Examples: Farnesol, ginger, and nerolidol. Three isoprene units; 15 carbon atoms.
Diterpenes: Examples: Phytol and vitamin A. Four isoprene units; 20 carbon atoms. Really just two monoterpenes combined.
Sesterterpenes: Rare among terpene compounds. Examples: Mangicols and neomangicols. Five isoprene units; 25 carbon atoms.
Triterpenes: Examples: Malabaricane and squalene. Six isoprene units; 30 carbon atoms.
Tetraterpenes: Examples: β-carotene, lycopene, and lutein (which are also categorized as carotenoids. Eight isoprene units; 40 carbon atoms.
Some terpenes, such as pinene, feature two nearly identical molecular siblings, called analogs or isomers. The scientific naming convention involves an alpha (alpha-pinene) and a beta (b-pinene), among others that are necessary in isomer families involving more than two members.
From an evolutionary perspective, terpenes provide two essential functions to the plant species that produce them:
Dissuade pests and predators (which perceive the aroma to be undesirable or toxic).
Attract pollinating insects (which propagate the species, helping ensure its survival).
This same aroma is perceived as pleasant and acts as an attractant to humans and some mammals. Like pollinating insects, humans support the cannabis species through selective breeding, horticulture, and overall commercialization.
While cannabinoids such as CBC, CBD, and CBN are produced only by the cannabis plant, terpenes are the opposite: No terpene is exclusive to hemp. In fact, 20,000 plant species in nature produce 40,000 different varieties of terpenes. In other words, all terpenes produced by hemp are also manufactured by other plants in nature.