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From the Toxipedia website in original form. Last updated by Toxipedia in 2014.
Ethyl Alcohol
Also see our longer article, A Small Dose of Alcohol.
Just the facts
Physical Information
Name: Ethyl Alcohol
Molecular Formula: CH 3 CH 2 OH
Use: solvent, intoxicant
Source: home, industry, stores, and alcoholic beverages
Recommended daily intake: not essential
Absorption: readily absorbed by intestine, food will delay absorption
Sensitive individuals: fetus (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD))
Toxicity/symptoms: developing nervous system very sensitive to low levels of exposure; kids - lowered IQ, learning and behavioral problems; adults - memory loss, inebriation, liver disease, cancer
Regulatory facts: government agencies recommend women not consume alcohol during pregnancy; blood alcohol regulated by local governments when operating a motor vehicle
Recommendations: do not consume alcohol during pregnancy, otherwise limit consumption and do not drive a motor vehicle after drinking
Chemical Structure
History and Introduction
Alcohol has been widely consumed for millenia for numerous reasons: part of a standard diet, for medicinal reasons, for its relaxant and euphoric effects, or for recreational purposes. The discovery of the distillation process during the 12th century made it possible to make drinks with higher alcohol content than can be achieved by the fermentation process alone (#MedLine Plus). It is from this process that alcohol got its name from Paracelsus, meaning "finely divided" in Greek which refers to distillation. It is believed that fermented beverages may date back to over 9,000 years ago, and the production and consumption of wine are mentioned several times in the Bible. Ethanol is a psychoactive drug with a depressant effects and is widely regulated. Ethyl alcohol is generally consumed in one of a few different types of alcoholic beverage - beer, wine, distilled liquor.
Approximate concentrations of alcohol: § an average beer is approximately 5% alcohol § wine is usually 12-15% alcohol § distilled liquor generally ranges from 30-50% but it can be higher.
Alcohol is one of the most widely-used drug substances in the world and alcohol abuse is a rampant sociological problem.
Chemical Description
Ethanol's empirical formula is CH 3 CH 2 OH. Ethanol is a two-carbon alcohol. It is also considered a primary alcohol, meaning the carbon with the hydroxyl group has at least two hydrogens attached as well.
Pharmacology and Metabolism
Ethyl alcohol is metabolized in the liver. Upon reaching the liver, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down the alcohol into acetaldehyde. The acetaldehyde is then catabolized into acetic acid by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Finally, the acetate is converted into fats or carbon dioxide and water.
Ethanol's mechanism of action remains less understood than most of the psychoactive drugs. Ethanol
Quotes
§ "Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among our Nation's youth. Yet the seriousness of this issue does not register with the general public or policymakers." Enoch Gordis, M.D. Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. § "You will conceive and bear a son...now then be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean". Bible - Judges 13:3-4.
External Links
§ International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA) § U.S. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Department of Justice § U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) § U.S. National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) § U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) § Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) § Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) § Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) § National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) § Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) § FAS Bookshelf, Inc § National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome § The Alcohol and Temperance History Group (ATHG)
References
· MedLine Plus Medical Encyclopedia. "Alcohol Use." 30 JAN 2008. · University of Bristol School of Chemistry. "Famous Alchemists." 2 MAR 2008 · Forney, Robert B. and Rolla N. Harger. "Toxicology of Ethanol." Annual Review of Pharmacology Vol. 9, 1969 pp. 379-392. 30 JAN 2008 · Mehta, AK and MK Ticku. "Ethanol potentiation of GABAergic transmission in cultured spinal cord neurons involves gamma-aminobutyric acidA-gated chloride channels." The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics AUG 1988 pp. 558-64. 03 FEB 2008 · Ophardt, Charles E. "Alcohol Metabolism Effects." Virtual ChemBook. 2003 Elnhurst College. 2 MAR 2008 · Rajendram, Rajkumar and Victor R. Preedy. "Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Gut." Digestive Diseases: Clinical Reviews Vol. 23, No. 3-4, 2005 pp. 214-221. 30 JAN 2008 · Reuters. "9,000-year History Of Chinese Fermented Beverages Confirmed". ScienceDaily 7 December 2004. 2 MAR 2008 · Trujillo, Keith A. and Andrea B. Chinn. "Drugs and the Brain: Ethanol. California State University. 20 FEB 2008
