Aromatherapy Essential Oil Chemistry 4

Question 1

Which analytical technique is the industry standard for verifying an essential oil's chemical composition?

Accepted Answer

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

Answer

GC-MS separates and identifies individual constituents, confirming purity and authenticity.

Question 2

The term 'chemotype' refers to what characteristic of an essential oil?

Accepted Answer

Same plant species producing different dominant constituents

Answer

A chemotype is the distinct chemical profile a single species produces under different growing conditions.

Question 3

Thyme CT thymol differs from thyme CT linalool primarily because it is richer in which harsher constituent?

Accepted Answer

Phenols

Answer

The thymol chemotype is phenol-rich, making it more potent and potentially irritating than the gentler linalool type.

Question 4

Which factor does NOT typically influence an essential oil's chemotype?

Accepted Answer

Bottle label design

Answer

Chemotype is shaped by growing environment, not by packaging or labeling.

Question 5

Distillation temperature and duration mainly affect an oil by altering what?

Accepted Answer

The ratio of light to heavy constituents captured

Answer

Longer or hotter distillation captures heavier, later-eluting molecules, shifting the constituent balance.

Aromatherapy Practice Test