The IUPAC nomenclature (systematic way of naming compounds) for alkanes is based on identifying hydrocarbon chains.
ðɪ ˈɪjuːpˌæk nəmˈɛŋklətʃɚ sˌɪstəmˈæɾɪk wˈeɪ ʌv nˈeɪmɪŋ kˈɑːmpaʊndz fɔːɹ ˈælkeɪnz ɪz bˈeɪst ˌɔn aɪdˈɛntᵻfˌaɪɪŋ hˈaɪdɹəkˌɑːɹbən tʃˈeɪnz.