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Ethanol is an organic alcohol
Ethanol is an organic alcohol
In Chemistry, Organic means something has carbon in it. Carbon is a pretty common element on Earth and in almost all living things, so Organic Chemistry covers a lot of compounds. In Organic Chemistry, alcohols are molecules that have an -OH group attached to a Carbon. One of the more simple alcohols, Ethanol, is the byproduct of biological fermentation and we humans have a long history with intentionally consuming it.
You can't have alcohol without COH.
You can't have alcohol without COH.
Alcohol compounds have a simple requirement; a carbon bonded to a hydroxide group. The most simple alcohol, Methanol (which has 1 carbon) is poisonous for humans. The 3 carbon alcohols, including isopropyl alcohol, are poisonous for humans. The 2 carbon alcohol, Ethanol, can be considered poisonous in large doses, but it doesn't stop people from drinking just enough to feel inebriated. Symptoms from inebriation depend on blood alcohol content and range from euphoria and excitement to confusion and stupor, and possibly even coma or death.
Meth = 1 C
Meth = 1 C
Methanol can be found in windshield wiper fluid. Drinking this could make you die.
Eth = 2 C
Eth = 2 C
Ethanol is found in a variety of alcoholic beverages, from beer to wine to liquor and other spirits.
Drinking this could make you die.
Prop = 3 C
Prop = 3 C
Isopropyl alcohol is also known as rubbing alcohol. Drinking this could make you die.
Yeast and other bacteria can consume glucose in a process called alcoholic fermentation. Aerobic metabolism (with Oxygen) must go through the Citric Acid Cycle to regenerate NAD+ for Glycolysis, but Anaerobic organisms (without Oxygen) can recycle it via the pathways shown to the left.
The process of alcoholic fermentation produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide from fermentation allows some doughs to rise. Just add some baker's yeast, glucose, and some water, and you've got a party!
Fermentation also occurs in our muscle cells when we can't supply enough oxygen to that tissue during high energy activities. This allows those cells to keep burning glucose without oxygen, but produces lactic acid instead of ethanol. Lactic acid is suspected for causing the soreness you feel the day after working out your muscles.
Ethanol contains a lot of chemical energy. Biologically, when one gram of Ethanol is broken down, it supplies us with 7 calories. That's more calories per gram than Protein or Carbohydrates, and can be responsible for those big beer bellies.
Ethanol is so energetic, we use it to fuel most of our vehicles. 87 Octane gas is typically 10% Ethanol by volume. The US produced 13.7 billion bushels of corn in 2019, and 40% of that went to making ethanol for fuel. A 56 pound bushel of corn produces 2.7 gallons of Ethanol.
Ethanol was actually really important to the success of humans on this planet. Until humans knew about microbes and the health impacts of some of those cellular bad-guys, very few people had access to clean drinking water. Ethanol kills off a lot of those bad bacteria, so for many societies, alcohol was the best way to get safe water. In France up until the 1950's, students would drink wine between lessons.
The United States made Ethanol illegal in the 1920s. It didn't end well. The legal movement known as Prohibition was responsible for a lot of interesting US history.
The United States made Ethanol illegal in the 1920s. It didn't end well. The legal movement known as Prohibition was responsible for a lot of interesting US history.
Although Ethanol is now legal, it is still not something to take lightly. Alcohol is responsible for a huge number of deaths every day from accidents (like drunk driving) and health issues associated with ethanol toxicity.
According to International Health Metrics and Evaluations (IMHE), alcohol risk factors and disorders account for 5x as many deaths as all other illicit drugs.
Ethanol affects almost all parts of your brain, as shown in the diagram to the left. If you flex your hippocampus hard enough, you might be able to remember all of the lobes and their associated functions...as long as you haven't been drinking.
Expectant mothers should NEVER drink large amounts of ethanol. Babies who are exposed to too much ethanol in the womb develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and as seen above, have much smaller brain masses at birth. These effects can impact the baby for the rest of their life and cause lots of learning disabilities and other cognitive struggles. If you think you are pregnant, it would be wise to avoid the wine!
If you do decide to drink, be conscious of your Blood Alcohol Content so you are within safe and legal concentrations and limits.
If you do decide to drink, be conscious of your Blood Alcohol Content so you are within safe and legal concentrations and limits.
Your blood alcohol level is going to be dependent on the mass of ethanol you consume, your body weight, your gender, and the amount of time since you've had a drink. A single "drink" of ethanol is about 12g, which is contained in 12 oz of beer, 8-9 oz of malt liquor, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits (tequila, rum, vodka, or similarly high percentage alcohol). The proof on a spirit is 2x the concentration (so an 80-proof whiskey would be 40% alcohol). You should never drive if you are drinking, but the chart above can help you decipher the legal distinctions for Blood Alcohol Levels. Keep in mind that some states also have different BAC policies, with some states more strict than others. If you leave California for college, you can't feign ignorance of the law as a defense.
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