An alkene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon bonded to another carbon in a double bond. Ethene, propene, and benzene are examples of alkenes, with ethene and propene being similar to ethane and propane but containing a double bond instead of single bonds. Benzene is a cyclic alkene that can cause health effects like headaches and vomiting with short term exposure or illnesses like anemia and cancer with long term exposure.