MOLECULE

Methanol

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as primary alcohols. Primary alcohols are compounds comprising the primary alcohol functional group, with the general structure RCOH (R=alkyl, aryl). Methanol is the simplest of alcohols, consisting of a methyl group coupled to a hydroxyl group. Methanol was once produced chiefly by the destructive distillation of wood. Today, methanol is mainly produced industrially by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Methanol is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol (drinking alcohol). Methanol is, however, far more toxic than ethanol. The target of methanol toxicity in the eye is the retina, specifically the optic disk and optic nerve. Visual disturbances develop between 18h to 48h after ingestion and range from mild photophobia and blurred vision to markedly reduced visual acuity and complete blindness. The toxicity of methanol is due to the metabolic products of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase, then to formate by formaldehyde dehydrogenase, and then to carbon dioxide by limited H4 folate. Despite its toxicity, methanol exists in low concentrations in all living organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans. Outside of the human body, methanol has been detected in several different foods, such as prairie turnips, mountain yams, mentha (mint), watermelons, milk, sweet oranges and pasta.