Hopanes

alt=|thumb|377x377px|Some representative hopanoids: A. Diploptene, also called 22(29)-hopene B. Diplopterol, also called hopan-22-ol, the hydrated cyclomer of diploptene C. Bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT), a common extended hopanoid D. Hopane, the diagenetic product of A and B that results from reducing conditions during deposition and persists in the rock record. The diagenetic product of C would be an extended C35 hopane.Hopanoids are a diverse subclass of triterpenoids with the same hydrocarbon skeleton as the compound hopane. This group of pentacyclic molecules therefore refers to simple hopene

Hopane is a natural chemical compound classified as a triterpene. It forms the central core of a variety of other chemical compounds which are collectively known as hopanoids. The first compound of the hopane family to be isolated and characterised was hydroxyhopanone, found in dammar resin. The name derives from Hopea, a tree genus from which dammar is obtained.