HydroCarbons are everywhere, even if we don't know about them.
They are mostly made out of Hydrogen and Carbon. They make up most of the things we need in our daily life.

They pose a lot of benefits and threats to us and everything in our environment.

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There are 3 different hydrocarbons, each having different uses, and at the same time, THREATS.

• Alkanes
• Alkenes
• Alkynes

ALKANES

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Alkanes are generally considered unreactive as there are no functional groups present. However, alkanes or other hydrocarbons are probably the reasons why we have life on earth. Alkanes are found in various organisms.
Ants and cockroaches have n-undecane which is a pheromone in their bodies11. It helps cockroaches aggregate.
Pristane is found in shark liver oil and also in sperm whale, lobster, zooplankton, etc.

Though it can also be used for the following purposes:

• heating/cooling house (air conditioning)
• ovens
• fireplaces
• outdoor lights
• Fuel cells
• plastic products (from cracking of ethane, propane)
• fertilizer (in Haber-Bosch process for production of ammonia, hydrogen comes from methane)

May you be reminded that Alkanes, like all chemicals, can be dangerous to your health when not handled properly.

ALKENES

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Alkenes are produced from the alkanes in crude oil by a process called cracking.
Alkenes are much more reactive than alkanes because alkenes are unsaturated. An alkene may be distinguished from an alkane by shaking the hydrocarbon with bromine water. Alkenes are extremely important in the manufacture of plastics.
Lower alkenes are used as fuel and illuminant. These may be obtained by the cracking of kerosene or petrol.
As raw materials for the manufacture of industrial Chemicals such as alcohols, aldehydes, and etc.
Also used for artificial ripening of fruits, as a general anesthetic, for making poisonous mustard gas (War gas) and ethylene-oxygen flame.

ALKYNES

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Alkynes are hydrocarbons, which are organic chemical compounds containing carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms, and the feature that makes them recognized as alkynes is the presence of triple bonds.
Chemical compounds that have triple and double bonds in their chemical structures are referred to as unsaturated. Because alkynes have triple bonds in their chemical structure and consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms, they are unsaturated hydrocarbons.

• Acetylene, also referred to as ethyne, is one of the most well-known and widely used alkynes. It can undergo several chemical reactions that are needed in manufacturing products in different industries.
• Another alkyne, propyne, also known as methylacetylene, is commonly used as a substitute for acetylene as fuel for welding torches. It is also being investigated as possible fuel for rockets in space craft.