Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
cyclopropane
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Videos
anesthesia
Related Questions
Read Next
Workers pressure cleaning rocks coated in oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, March 1990. In the intertidal zone, Prince William Sound, Alaska. pollution disaster
9 of the Biggest Oil Spills in History
Skeleton fossil record of ancient reptiles in stone.
Do Fossil Fuels Really Come from Fossils?
Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health
17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered
Discover
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms

cyclopropane

chemical compound
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/cyclopropane
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: trimethylene
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Also called:
trimethylene
anesthesia
anesthesiaHow anesthesia works.
See all videos for this article

cyclopropane, explosive, colourless gas used in medicine since 1934 as a general anesthetic. Cyclopropane is nonirritating to mucous membranes and does not depress respiration. Induction of and emergence from cyclopropane anesthesia are usually rapid and smooth. A mixture of about 5 to 20 percent cyclopropane in oxygen is administered by inhalation. Because of the flammability and expense of cyclopropane, it is usually used in a closed (rebreathing) system, in which an absorbent chemical, such as soda lime, removes exhaled carbon dioxide, and the anesthetic is recirculated. The chemical formula is C3H6.