Recent findings show that FGF21, a hormone produced by the liver, accounts for some individual differences in our response to alcohol. If someone drinks excessively, they often feel unwell the following day – a condition called a hangover. Hangovers can involve a wide range of symptoms, including headache, dry mouth, tiredness, nausea and low mood.
Factors affecting alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm
The way each type of alcohol interacts with the body depends on its ethanol content, absorption rate, and the presence of additional compounds that enhance or prolong its effects. Ethanol, a member of a class of organic compounds that are given the general name alcohols; its molecular formula is C2H5OH. Ethanol is an important industrial chemical; it is used as a solvent, in the synthesis of other organic chemicals, and as an additive to automotive gasoline (forming a mixture known as a gasohol). Ethanol is also the intoxicating ingredient of many alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits. The term ‘alcohol’ refers to a broad class of organic compounds characterised by one or more hydroxyl (–OH) functional groups attached to a saturated carbon atom. Ethanol (C₂H₅OH) is a specific and well-known member of this large family.
Alcoholism
We’d highly recommend you make one if you haven’t already, and gradually add to it as you learn more and more organic reactions. With such a map, it is easy to see all the different ways of producing a type of organic molecule; alcohols are no exception. Its longest carbon chain is four carbon atoms long, giving it the root name -but-. It has a hydroxyl group and a chlorine atom, meaning that the hydroxyl group is the parent functional group.
- The polar hydroxyl (-OH) group allows alcohol molecules to form strong hydrogen bonds with each other.
- In addition, the boiling point of alcohols in the aliphatic carbon chain increases with an increase in the number of carbon atoms.
- A more controlled elimination reaction requires the formation of the xanthate ester.
- This is also why drinks like cocktails often combine alcohol with fruit juices or sodas for more enjoyable consumption.
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Isopropyl alcohol, one of the most common members of the alcohol family of organic compounds. Isopropyl alcohol was the first commercial synthetic alcohol; chemists at the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (later Exxon Mobil) first produced it in 1920 while studying petroleum by-products. It is easily synthesized from the reaction of propylene with sulfuric acid, followed by hydrolysis. Alcohol is a popular legally controlled psychoactive drug that is commonly consumed in social settings. Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the intoxicating ingredient in alcoholic beverages that produces the feeling of being drunk. It lowers anxiety and inhibitions with a broad range of side effects, from euphoria to other harder side effects such as loss of coordination to slurred speech.
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Some studies have claimed that having one or two drinks a day is linked to better health than avoiding alcohol completely. However, it is hard to unpick correlation and causation in these studies, and the putative benefits of moderate drinking remain controversial. At higher concentrations, the effects of alcohol become more severe, and people find it harder to think clearly. They may be more prone to losing control of their emotions and becoming aggressive, which is why alcohol is sometimes a factor in violent crime and antisocial behaviour.
- Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the intoxicating ingredient in alcoholic beverages that produces the feeling of being drunk.
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- Alcohol has been a part of human culture for thousands of years, serving various roles in society from social lubricant to integral component in religious and cultural practices.
- At low levels, alcohol typically makes people feel relaxed, animated and disinhibited.
- Ethanol (grain alcohol) and methanol (wood alcohol) are the best-known alcohols with one hydroxyl group.
According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases, all molecules which donate protons (H+) are acids. The hydroxyl group of alcohols tends to release H+ because of its polarity. Due to oxygen being more electronegative than hydrogen, the shared pair of electrons shifts towards oxygen, making the -OH bond weaker and easier to break. The oxygen atom pulls the bonded pair of electrons it shares with hydrogen over towards itself, leaving hydrogen with a partial positive charge. Hydrogen’s charge density is so high, in fact, that it is attracted to the lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom of an adjacent alcohol molecule.
Related topics to Organic Chemistry
Pharmaceutical industries also harness its properties to aid in formulation as a solvent, enhancing the efficacy and delivery of drugs. When ingested, about 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach; the other 80% is absorbed in the small intestine. Alcohol makes its way to the rest of the body through the bloodstream and begins to disrupt the body’s system’s normal functioning. The liver breaks down the majority of alcohol that has been consumed.
The alpha carbon is the carbon atom directly bonded to the hydroxyl group. Alcohols are organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl groups, -OH. As branching in alcohols increases, melting and boiling points decrease.
50% of alcohol definition, formula, and facts adults in the U.S. have reported drinking alcohol in the past month, with over 30% of binge drinkers in this group, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023. Alcohol refers to a psychoactive substance that is primarily consumed for its intoxicating effects. It is chemically known as ethanol, and it is produced through the fermentation of sugars by yeast or through distillation. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2023, 14.5 million people aged 12 and older in the U.S. had Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in 2019, highlighting the widespread nature of alcohol addiction. Short-chain alcohols are soluble in water, whilst long-chain alcohols are insoluble. This is because the alcohol’s polar hydroxyl group can also hydrogen bond with water molecules, dissolving the alcohol.
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