Question

When the prefix cyclo- comes before the name of a hydrocarbon, what does it mean?

Answer 1

Have you ever grabbed a piece of meat at a barbecue that was left on the grill a bit too long? Chemically, the charred portion on grilled meat contains cyclic compounds. That is, if you looked at the chemical produced from cooking your meat beyond well-done, you would see that its chemical structure contains cyclic hydrocarbons.