FComEx: Methanol (PC000507)

Record Information

Version

1.0

Creation date

2015-10-09 22:31:00 UTC

Update date

2017-01-19 02:36:26 UTC

FoodComEx ID

PC000507

FoodDB Record

FDB008124

Chemical Information

Name

Methanol

Description

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.

CAS Number

67-56-1

Structure

MOL SDF 3D-SDF PDB SMILES InChI View 3D Structure

Synonyms

Synonym	Source
Alcohol, methyl	biospider
Alcool methylique	HMDB
Alcool metilico	HMDB
Carbinol	db_source
CH3OH	ChEBI
Colonial spirit	HMDB
Columbian spirit	HMDB
Columbian spirits	HMDB
Hydroxymethane	db_source
MeOH	ChEBI
Metanolo	HMDB
Methanol-water mixture	HMDB
Methyl alcohol	db_source
Methyl hydrate	biospider
Methyl hydroxide	biospider
Methylalkohol	ChEBI
Methylic alcohol	manual
Methylol	biospider
Metylowy alkohol	HMDB
Monohydroxymethane	biospider
Pyro alcohol	HMDB
Pyroxylic spirit	HMDB
Spirit OF wood	HMDB
Wood alcohol	db_source
Wood naphtha	manual
Wood spirit	ChEBI
Wood spirits	manual

Chemical Formula

CH4O

IUPAC name

methanol

InChI Identifier

InChI=1S/CH4O/c1-2/h2H,1H3

InChI Key

OKKJLVBELUTLKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Isomeric SMILES

Average Molecular Weight

32.0419

Monoisotopic Molecular Weight

32.02621475

Chemical Taxonomy

Description

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).

Kingdom

Organic compounds

Super Class

Organic oxygen compounds

Class

Organooxygen compounds

Sub Class

Alcohols and polyols

Direct Parent

Primary alcohols

Alternative Parents