alkyl groups

Univalent groups derived from alkanes by removal of a hydrogen atom from any carbon atom –C_nH_2n+1. The groups derived by removal of a hydrogen atom from a terminal carbon atom of unbranched alkanes form a subclass of normal alkyl (n-alkyl) groups H(CH₂)_n. The groups RCH₂, R₂CH (R ≠ H), and R₃C (R ≠ H) are primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl groups, respectively.