A hydrocarbon compound with carbon atoms arranged in a ring structure, also called a cycloalkane or alicyclic hydrocarbon.
From cycl- (circle) plus -ane (a hydrocarbon suffix). The '-ane' ending indicates a saturated hydrocarbon with single bonds. Terminology developed by organic chemists in the late 19th century to classify carbon ring structures.
Cyclanes are everywhere in nature and industry—cyclohexane (a six-carbon ring) is used to make nylon, showing how understanding the geometry of molecules led to revolutionary materials!
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