Related topics: alcohol consumption
Alcohol
hideIn chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. The general formula for a simple acyclic alcohol is CnH2n+1OH. In common terms, the word alcohol refers to ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.
Ethanol is a colorless, volatile liquid with a mild odor which can be obtained by the fermentation of sugars. (Industrially, it is more commonly obtained by ethylene hydration—the reaction of ethylene with water in the presence of phosphoric acid.) Ethanol is the most widely used depressant in the world, and has been for thousands of years. This sense underlies the term alcoholism (addiction to alcohol).
Other alcohols are usually described with a clarifying adjective, as in isopropyl alcohol (propan-2-ol) or wood alcohol (methyl alcohol, or methanol). The suffix -ol appears in the IUPAC chemical name of all alcohols.[citation needed]
There are three major subsets of alcohols: primary (1°), secondary (2°) and tertiary (3°), based upon the number of carbon atoms the C-OH group's carbon (shown in red) is bonded to. Ethanol is a simple 'primary' alcohol. The simplest secondary alcohol is isopropyl alcohol (propan-2-ol), and a simple tertiary alcohol is tert-butyl alcohol (2-methylpropan-2-ol).
For more information about Alcohol, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with alcohol
'Beneficial' effects of alcohol?
Oct 14, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (15) |
2
According a new study of over 3,000 adults aged 70-79, the apparent association between light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and reduced risk of functional decline over time did not hold up after adjustments ...
Adolescent alcohol expsoure may lead to long-term risky decision making
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Sep 21, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Picture this. A bunch of adolescent rats walk into a bar and start consuming Jell-O shots. Lots of them.
Developing Brains: Alcohol Worse than Marijuana
Mar 26, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (33) |
14
(PhysOrg.com) -- It appears that when it comes to teen brain development, parents should be more worried about alcohol abuse than marijuana abuse. Two recent studies have been published showing that alcohol ...
Alcohol helps lower heart disease risk for men: study
Nov 19, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (7) |
7
Men who drink alcohol every day see a nearly one-third average reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, according to a long-term study among Spanish men published on Thursday.
Diet switching can activate brain's stress system, lead to 'withdrawal' symptoms
Nov 09, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
In research that sheds light on the perils of yo-yo dieting and repeated bouts of sugar-bingeing, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute have shown in animal models that cycling between periods of eating sweet and ...
Drunken fruit flies help scientists find potential drug target for alcoholism
Nov 03, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
0
A group of drunken fruit flies have helped researchers from North Carolina State and Boston universities identify entire networks of genes—also present in humans—that play a key role in alcohol drinking behavior. This discovery, ...
Genes that drive you to drink (but don't make you an alcoholic)
Oct 26, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (2) |
0
Your genetic make up may predispose you to drink more but may not increase your genetic risk for alcoholism (alcohol dependence). Research published in the open access journal, BMC Biology, pinpoints genetic pathways and ge ...
Alcohol tolerance 'switch' found
Oct 21, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a genetic "switch" in fruit flies that plays an important role in making flies more tolerant to alcohol.
A new understanding of why seizures occur with alcohol withdrawal
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 17, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
0
Epileptic seizures are the most dramatic and prominent aspect of the "alcohol withdrawal syndrome" that occurs when a person abruptly stops a long-term or chronic drinking habit. Researchers have shown that the flow of calcium ...
New links among alcohol abuse, depression, obesity in young women found
Sep 22, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- There is new evidence that depression, obesity and alcohol abuse or dependency are interrelated conditions among young adult women but not men.
Young age at first drink may affect genes and risk for alcoholism
Sep 18, 2009 |
2.3 / 5 (3) |
6
The age at which a person takes a first drink may influence genes linked to alcoholism, making the youngest drinkers the most susceptible to severe problems.
How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine'
Sep 01, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
7
Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the ...
Toyota developing anti-drunk driving gadget
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Aug 31, 2009 |
1 / 5 (1) |
6
Toyota Motor said Monday it was developing anti-drunk driving equipment that would lock the ignition of a vehicle if high levels of alcohol are detected in the driver.
Teetotallers more likely to be depressed
Aug 28, 2009 |
4 / 5 (4) |
2
Abstaining from alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of depression according to a new study published in Addiction journal.
Regular moderate alcohol intake has cognitive benefits in older adults
Jul 13, 2009 |
3.1 / 5 (7) |
1
A glass of wine here, a nightcap there - new research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that moderate alcohol intake offers long-term cognitive protection and reduces the risk of dementia ...
