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The chemical
When we talk about alcohol most of us are referring to the
alcohol in drinks - known as ethanol. In science and industry
the word alcohol refers to a group of compounds made up of
a hydrocarbon chain with a hydroxyl (OH) group attached at
one end. Ethanol is a member of the alcohol group, other examples
are methanol, propanol and pentanol.
The chemical structure of
ethanol
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Alcohol looks fairly harmless when drawn like this, so it's
hard to believe that this small compound is responsible for
an annual £30 billion economy and is reckoned to cost us £20
billion each year in alcohol related harm. This small molecule
clearly has a big impact. |
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The name
There are two theories to explain the origins of the word.
It is thought to be Arabic and could have started as Al-kuhul,
the Arabic for antimony sulphide, a chemical used as an antiseptic
and eyeliner which is also made by distillation.
The second theory suggests the word is a mixture of Al-Kuhul,
and Al-ghawl meaning spirit, or the headiness of wine.
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Toxicity
Ethanol has been consumed in the form of alcoholic drinks
since pre-historic times, for a variety
of hygienic, dietary, medicinal, religious and recreational
purposes. While small amounts now and then may have no effect,
larger doses can cause many problems.
The other alcohols are far more poisonous than ethanol. Methanol
is broken down in the body to the highly poisonous formaldehyde,
which cause blindness or death. Surprisingly the best treatment
for methanol poisoning is ethanol, which is broken down by
the body instead of the methanol.
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