Theme: animals of cold countries, senior group. Animals of cold countries (habits and young)

Ethanol - what is this substance? What are its uses and how is it produced? Ethanol is better known to everyone under a different name - alcohol. Of course, this is not an entirely correct designation. But meanwhile, it is by the word “alcohol” that we mean “ethanol”. Even our ancestors knew about its existence. They obtained it through a fermentation process. Various products were used, from cereals to berries. But in the resulting mash, which is what alcoholic drinks were called in the old days, the amount of ethanol did not exceed 15 percent. Pure alcohol could only be isolated after distillation processes were studied.

Ethanol - what is it?

Ethanol is a monohydric alcohol. Under normal conditions, it is a volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a specific odor and taste. Ethanol has found wide application in industry, medicine and everyday life. It is an excellent disinfectant. Alcohol is used as a fuel and as a solvent. But most of all, the ethanol formula C2H5OH is known to lovers of alcoholic beverages. It is in this area that this substance has found wide application. But we should not forget that alcohol, as an active component of alcoholic drinks, is a strong depressant. This psychoactive substance can depress the central nervous system and cause severe addiction.

Nowadays, it is difficult to find an industry that does not use ethanol. It is difficult to list all the benefits of alcohol. But most of all its properties were appreciated in pharmaceuticals. Ethanol is the main component of almost all medicinal tinctures. Many “grandmother’s recipes” for treating human ailments are based on this substance. It draws out all the beneficial substances from plants, accumulating them. This property of alcohol has found application in the production of homemade herbal and berry tinctures. And although these are alcoholic drinks, they provide health benefits in moderation.

The benefits of ethanol

The formula of ethanol is known to everyone since school chemistry lessons. But not everyone can answer right away what the benefits of this chemical are. In fact, it is difficult to imagine an industry that does not use alcohol. First of all, ethanol is used in medicine as a powerful disinfectant. They are used to treat the surgical surface and wounds. Alcohol has a detrimental effect on almost all groups of microorganisms. But ethanol is used not only in surgery. It is indispensable for the production of medicinal extracts and tinctures.

In small doses, alcohol is beneficial for the human body. It helps thin the blood, improve blood circulation and dilate blood vessels. It is even used to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Ethanol helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But only in really small doses.

In special cases, the psychotropic effect of alcohol can drown out the most severe pain. Ethanol has also found application in cosmetology. Due to its pronounced antiseptic properties, it is included in almost all cleansing lotions for problematic and oily skin.

The harm of ethanol

Ethanol is an alcohol produced by fermentation. If consumed excessively, it can cause severe toxicological poisoning and even coma. This substance is part of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol causes severe psychological and physical dependence. Alcoholism is considered to be a disease. The dangers of ethanol are immediately associated with scenes of rampant drunkenness. Excessive consumption of drinks containing alcohol leads not only to food poisoning. Everything is much more complicated. Frequent drinking of alcohol affects almost all organ systems. From oxygen starvation, which ethanol causes, large numbers of brain cells die. Occurs In the first stages, memory weakens. Then the person develops diseases of the kidneys, liver, intestines, stomach, blood vessels and heart. Men experience loss of potency. In the final stages, an alcoholic exhibits mental deformation.

History of alcohol

Ethanol - what is this substance and how was it obtained? Not everyone knows that it has been used since prehistoric times. It was included in alcoholic drinks. True, its concentration was small. But meanwhile, traces of alcohol were found in China on 9,000-year-old ceramics. This clearly suggests that people were drinking alcohol-containing drinks back in the Neolithic era.

The first case was recorded in the 12th century in Salerno. True, it was a water-alcohol mixture. Pure ethanol was isolated by Johann Tobias Lowitz in 1796. He used the activated carbon filtration method. Producing ethanol in this way remained the only method for a long time. The formula of alcohol was calculated by Nicolò-Theodore de Saussure, and described as a carbon compound by Antoine Lavoisier. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many scientists studied ethanol. All its properties have been studied. Currently, it has become widespread and is used in almost all areas of human activity.

Production of ethanol by alcoholic fermentation

Perhaps the most well-known method for producing ethanol is alcoholic fermentation. This is only possible when using organic products that contain large amounts of carbohydrates, such as grapes, apples, and berries. Another important component for fermentation to proceed actively is the presence of yeast, enzymes and bacteria. Processing of potatoes, corn, and rice looks the same. To obtain fuel alcohol, raw sugar is used, which is produced from cane. The reaction is quite complex. As a result of fermentation, a solution is obtained that contains no more than 16% ethanol. It is not possible to obtain a higher concentration. This is explained by the fact that yeast is not able to survive in more saturated solutions. Thus, the resulting ethanol must be subjected to purification and concentration processes. Distillation processes are commonly used.

To produce ethanol, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae of various strains is used. In principle, they are all capable of activating this process. Sawdust can be used as a nutrient substrate or, as an alternative, a solution obtained from it.

Fuel

Many people know about the properties that ethanol has. It is also widely known that it is alcohol or a disinfectant. But alcohol is also a fuel. It is used in rocket engines. It is a well-known fact that during the First World War, 70% aqueous ethanol was used as fuel for the world's first German ballistic missile, the V-2.

Currently, alcohol has become more widespread. It is used as fuel in internal combustion engines and for heating devices. In laboratories it is poured into alcohol lamps. Catalytic oxidation of ethanol is used to produce heating pads, both military and tourist. Alcohol is used with restriction in mixtures with liquid petroleum fuel due to its hygroscopicity.

Ethanol in the chemical industry

Ethanol is widely used in the chemical industry. It serves as a raw material for the production of substances such as diethyl ether, acetic acid, chloroform, ethylene, acetaldehyde, tetraethyl lead, ethyl acetate. In the paint and varnish industry, ethanol is widely used as a solvent. Alcohol is the main component of windshield washers and antifreeze. Alcohol is also used in household chemicals. It is part of detergents and cleaning products. It is especially common as a component in cleaning fluids for plumbing fixtures and glass.

Ethyl alcohol in medicine

Ethyl alcohol can be classified as an antiseptic. It has a detrimental effect on almost all groups of microorganisms. It destroys the cells of bacteria and microscopic fungi. The use of ethanol in medicine is almost universal. This is an excellent drying and disinfectant. Due to its tanning properties, alcohol (96%) is used to treat operating tables and surgeon's hands.

Ethanol is a solvent for drugs. It is widely used for the production of tinctures and extracts from medicinal herbs and other plant materials. The minimum alcohol concentration in such substances does not exceed 18 percent. Ethanol is often used as a preservative.

Ethyl alcohol is also excellent for rubbing. During fever it produces a cooling effect. Very often, alcohol is used for warming compresses. At the same time, it is absolutely safe, there is no redness or burns on the skin. In addition, ethanol is used as an antifoam when artificially supplying oxygen during ventilation. Alcohol is also a component of general anesthesia, which can be used in case of shortage of medications.

Oddly enough, medical ethanol is used as an antidote for poisoning with toxic alcohols, such as methanol or ethylene glycol. Its action is due to the fact that in the presence of several substrates, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase carries out only competitive oxidation. It is due to this that after immediate intake of ethanol following toxic methanol or ethylene glycol, a decrease in the current concentration of metabolites poisoning the body is observed. For methanol it is formic acid and formaldehyde, and for ethylene glycol it is oxalic acid.

Food industry

So, how to get ethanol was known to our ancestors. But it received its widest use only in the 19th and 20th centuries. Along with water, ethanol is the basis of almost all alcoholic beverages, primarily vodka, gin, rum, cognac, whiskey, and beer. Alcohol is also found in small quantities in drinks that are produced by fermentation, for example, kefir, kumis, and kvass. But they are not classified as alcohol, since the alcohol concentration in them is very low. Thus, the ethanol content in fresh kefir does not exceed 0.12%. But if it settles, the concentration can increase to 1%. Kvass contains slightly more ethyl alcohol (up to 1.2%). Kumis contains the most alcohol. In a fresh dairy product its concentration is from 1 to 3%, and in a settled one it reaches 4.5%.

Ethyl alcohol is a good solvent. This property allows it to be used in the food industry. Ethanol is a solvent for flavorings. In addition, it can be used as a preservative for baked goods. It is registered as food additive E1510. Ethanol has an energy value of 7.1 kcal/g.

The effect of ethanol on the human body

Ethanol production has been established all over the world. This valuable substance is used in many areas of human life. are medicine. Wipes soaked in this substance are used as a disinfectant. But what effect does ethanol have on our body when ingested? Is it beneficial or harmful? These issues require detailed study. Everyone knows that humanity has been consuming alcoholic beverages for centuries. But it was only in the last century that the problem of alcoholism became widespread. Our ancestors consumed mash, mead, and even the now so popular beer, but all these drinks contained a weak percentage of ethanol. Therefore, they could not cause significant harm to health. But after Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev diluted alcohol with water in certain proportions, everything changed.

Currently, alcoholism is a problem in almost all countries of the world. Once in the body, alcohol has a pathological effect on almost all organs without exception. Depending on the concentration, dose, route of exposure and duration of exposure, ethanol can exhibit toxic and narcotic effects. It can disrupt the functioning of the cardiovascular system and contribute to the occurrence of diseases of the digestive tract, including stomach and duodenal ulcers. The narcotic effect refers to the ability of alcohol to cause stupor, insensitivity to pain and depression of the functions of the central nervous system. In addition, a person becomes excited about alcohol and very quickly becomes dependent. In some cases, excessive consumption of ethanol can cause coma.

What happens in our body when we drink alcoholic beverages? The ethanol molecule can damage the central nervous system. Under the influence of alcohol, the hormone endorphin is released in the nucleus accumbens, and in people with pronounced alcoholism, in the orbitofrontal cortex. But, nevertheless, despite this, ethanol is not recognized as a narcotic substance, although it exhibits all the relevant actions. Ethyl alcohol was not included on the international list of controlled substances. And this is a controversial issue, because in certain doses, namely 12 grams of the substance per 1 kilogram of body weight, ethanol first leads to acute poisoning and then death.

What diseases does ethanol cause?

The ethanol solution itself is not a carcinogen. But its main metabolite is acetaldehyde, a toxic and mutagenic substance. In addition, it also has carcinogenic properties and provokes the development of cancer. Its qualities were studied in laboratory conditions on experimental animals. These scientific works led to very interesting, but at the same time alarming results. It turns out that acetaldehyde is not just a carcinogen, it can damage DNA.

Long-term consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause diseases in humans such as gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver, duodenal ulcers, cancer of the stomach, esophagus, small intestine and rectum, and cardiovascular diseases. Regular exposure to ethanol in the body can cause oxidative damage to brain neurons. Due to damage they die. Abuse of drinks containing alcohol leads to alcoholism and clinical death. In people who regularly drink alcohol, the risk of developing a heart attack and stroke increases significantly.

But this is not all the properties of ethanol. This substance is a natural metabolite. In small quantities it can be synthesized in the tissues of the human body. It is called true. It is also produced as a result of the breakdown of carbohydrate foods in the gastrointestinal tract. This ethanol is called “conditionally endogenous alcohol.” Can a regular breathalyzer detect alcohol that has been synthesized in the body? Theoretically this is possible. Its amount rarely exceeds 0.18 ppm. This value is at the lower limit of the most modern measuring instruments.

Novosibirsk State Medical University

Department of Biological Chemistry

INFLUENCE OF ETHANOL ON THE HUMAN BODY

The work was completed by a student

2 years of medical faculty

11th group Shakhova R.I.

I checked the work

Yuzenas T.P.

Novosibirsk 2009

Introduction

The effect of ethanol (alcohol) on the human body

1. Chemistry of alcohol removal from the body and metabolism

The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system

Alcohol and hypertension

The effect of ethanol on the development of atherosclerosis

Introduction

For centuries, people have considered alcohol to be the simplest and most accessible means of “making life easier.” By affecting the brain, alcohol eliminates the ability to objectively and critically evaluate oneself and the situation. This creates a false feeling of relief from nervous tension, an impression of calm, comfort and well-being. The evidence of the adverse effects of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages has led to their regulation or prohibition by religious injunctions or government legislation. A significant increase in alcohol consumption in Western Europe and a number of other countries began during the “industrial revolution”. The emotional, ideological and political tension surrounding the problem of alcohol, to a certain extent, still affects the nature of the conclusions of scientific research.

It is known that excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages is one of the most important risk factors for the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, hypertension, and also causes ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. At the same time, back in the 18th century, the positive effect of small doses of alcohol on the cardiovascular system was noted, which in the last two decades has received scientific confirmation; the result of more than 100 large-scale epidemiological and experimental studies has led to the conclusion that the risk of cardiovascular diseases and the mortality rate due to them has been reduced. reason among people who moderately consume alcohol or alcohol-containing beverages. For the first time, such a pattern, often described in modern literature by the term “French paradox,” was identified in France, a country where wine is traditionally a widely consumed drink and among whose population the incidence of coronary heart disease is significantly lower compared to the global rate . Following this, it was shown that a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease is observed with moderate consumption of not only wine, but also other alcoholic beverages, including beer.

The nervous system is most sensitive to alcohol. Intoxication is essentially a picture of acute poisoning of the central nervous system, primarily its higher section - the cerebral cortex. It has been established that alcohol taken orally is retained in brain cells for up to 15 days. In this regard, each subsequent dose of alcohol taken during this time “layers” on the alcohol remaining in the body. Alcohol has an equally significant negative effect on other internal human organs, especially the cardiovascular system. Chronic alcoholism may cause disturbances in all parts of the cardiovascular system.

Content

Drinking alcohol-containing drinks in large doses has a negative impact on health; as a rule, the pathophysiological effect of alcohol on the human body is due to its strength and numerous harmful impurities. Alcoholism develops with regular drinking of alcoholic beverages. This mental illness greatly impairs health, and a person’s ability to work and moral values ​​decrease.

What is alcohol

The modern market in our country is replete with a variety of alcoholic drinks, which differ in strength, manufacturer and composition. As a rule, the effect of alcohol on the human body is always negative, because when it gets inside, it quickly spreads through the blood to all organs, often causing their destruction. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol), C2H5OH, is a toxin, when taken, the liver tries to neutralize it. This volatile transparent liquid, which has a characteristic odor and pungent taste, is easily diluted with water.

This yeast fermentation product can be produced chemically. It burns well, is easily ignited, and is used as a technical brake fluid, as a solvent or fuel. Often a disease such as alcoholism is hereditary; if both parents drank in the family and they were not given proper treatment, then their child may also become an alcoholic in the future.

How alcohol affects the human body

People who love strong drinks are often interested in the question of how alcohol affects the human body? Ethanol tends to concentrate in the brain and liver and can quickly kill cells in these organs. In addition, alcohol is a mutagen. As a rule, in an adult body, mutant cells are eliminated by the immune system, but if it fails, then people with alcoholism develop cancer of the stomach, oral cavity, liver, and esophagus. Alcohol also affects

in the following way:

• Disturbs fetal development. The brain often suffers, the child’s heart is affected, and limbs are underdeveloped.
• Activates receptors for the amino acid GABA, the main inhibitory transmitter in the nervous system. As a result, cell excitability decreases.
• High ethanol content enhances the synthesis of endorphins and dopamine. The patient experiences euphoria.
• Disturbs metabolism in the body. This factor provokes the development of a psychological syndrome.
• Toxic effect. As a rule, it is determined by an increase in pulse, lack of air, and disruption of the heart.
• Systematic consumption of strong drinks provokes fatty degeneration and inflammation of the liver. Hepatocytes are destroyed and cirrhosis occurs.
• Provokes alcoholic encephalopathy. The disease begins with mental disorders with static or monotonous visual illusions and hallucinations.

Lethal dose

The harmful effects of alcohol on human health are impossible only when a man or woman does not drink strong drinks at all. Everyone else, as a rule, experiences the harmful effects of drinking ethyl alcohol. Alcohol is good for the body only in small doses, but if you drink a little too much, there will be more harm than good. Each person has their own lethal dose of alcohol. For a 70 kg man who does not drink, this is:

• 750 ml of vodka, drunk over five hours;
• 300 ml of pure alcohol drunk over five hours.

For women it is:

• 450 ml of vodka, drunk over five hours.

If a person constantly drinks alcohol, he can die from 3 bottles of vodka or 600 ml of pure alcohol, drunk in 5 hours or less. Blood can normally contain 0.4 ppm (‰) and this is an acceptable level. When the alcohol concentration is more than 3.8 ppm, paralysis of the respiratory tract can occur, resulting in death. Death is still possible when the concentration reaches 2.2-3.2‰.

What does alcohol affect?

People are often interested in the question of what organs are affected by alcohol? Based on research, doctors say that it negatively affects the entire body, but to varying degrees. The basis of alcoholic beverages is ethanol, a compound that has a toxic effect. When it enters the body as part of vodka, beer, wine or another drink, it is quickly absorbed from the intestines. Then ethanol is distributed to all internal organs. At the same time, alcohol has a devastating effect on the heart, brain, stomach and reproductive system.

On the respiratory system

It is known that breathing is life. When alcohol affects the lungs and bronchi, the functioning of the lung tissue is disrupted, which leads to a malfunction of the entire respiratory system. The mucous membranes dry out, the body's immunity weakens, and there is a high risk of tuberculosis. The first sign of its appearance is a severe cough, which can occur on the second day after excessive drinking. In addition, the negative effects of alcohol on the respiratory system can cause the following diseases:

• emphysema;
• tracheobronchitis;
• Chronical bronchitis.

On the stomach

Alcoholic drinks have a detrimental effect on the cells of the digestive organs, destroying them, causing burns, and resulting in tissue necrosis. In this case, the pancreas atrophies, and the cells that produce insulin die. This contributes to the fact that the absorption of beneficial nutrients is disrupted, the secretion of enzymes is inhibited, and food stagnation occurs in the intestines and stomach. As a rule, the negative effects of alcohol on the stomach can cause:

• diabetes;
• chronic stage of pancreatitis;
• gastritis;
• stomach cancer;
• severe abdominal pain.

To the reproductive system

Strong drinks are considered especially dangerous for girls and women, because their dependence on alcohol occurs quickly. Girls suffering from alcoholism are susceptible to damage to the ovaries, which ultimately disrupts menstruation. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity also suffer from excessive drinking of strong drinks. The harmful effect of alcohol on the male reproductive system is expressed in a decrease in libido, the development of impotence and infertility. Drunkenness also provokes testicular atrophy, leading to the birth of an unhealthy child.

On the human cardiovascular system

Alcoholic drinks provoke the destruction of blood cells - red blood cells. This causes deformation of the red cells, and they do not transfer the required amount of oxygen from the lungs to other tissues. In addition, sugar regulation is disrupted, which causes irreversible consequences: improper brain function, diabetes, vascular problems. The effect of alcohol on the human cardiovascular system has negative consequences. The following diseases may indicate this:

• high blood pressure;
• atherosclerosis;
• arrhythmia;
• ischemic heart disease.

How does alcohol affect the brain?

The central nervous system and brain are most often affected by ethyl alcohol. The concentration of alcohol in such organs after consumption becomes higher than in the entire body. Alcohol is toxic to brain tissue, so intoxication can often occur after drinking strong drinks. Alcohol can cause destruction, numbness and death of the cerebral cortex. Negative effects of how alcohol affects the brain:

• endocrine functions are disrupted;
• brain centers that regulate vascular tone are affected;
• the reaction of vegetative origin changes;
• problems arise with the psyche, memory, and mental development.

Effect on skin and muscle condition

Chronic consumption of strong drinks often provokes weakening and wasting of muscles. In addition, 50% of alcoholics develop skin diseases, because the immune system only works halfway and cannot cope with various viruses. The liver also does not cleanse the body to its full potential, so ulcers, boils, allergic rashes and pimples begin to appear on the surface of the skin. Alcohol's effect on the skin and muscle condition is manifested in the following:

• dehydration occurs;
• testosterone decreases;
• estrogen increases;
• muscle mass decreases;
• muscles weaken, atrophy, lose tone;
• protein synthesis decreases;
• there is a deficiency of minerals (phosphorus, calcium, zinc) and vitamins (A, B and C);
• there is an uncontrolled replenishment of calories in the body.

Positive effects of alcohol on the human body

Few people believe that the effect of ethyl alcohol on the human body can be positive. Indeed, in small dosages, ethanol is beneficial for humans. For example, red wine contains trace elements and antioxidants that the body needs. In this case, you should drink no more than three glasses a week. In addition, red wine removes waste and toxins, normalizes metabolism, and is an excellent preventative against atherosclerosis. Based on the drink, we can highlight the positive effects:

• champagne can be taken in small doses for a weak heart;
• mulled wine supports the body during bronchitis, colds, pneumonia, and flu;
• vodka can lower cholesterol;
• beer slows down the aging process and reduces the risk of heart disease.

But what dose of alcohol is good for a person? Doctors recommend that men drink no more than 20 g of pure alcohol, and women - 10 g. As a rule, this amount is contained in 100 grams of wine, 30 grams of vodka and 300 ml of beer. Taking one spoon of alcohol twice a week can act as a mobilizer for the body, i.e., a hormesis effect occurs. This method helps a person to shake himself up quickly. It is strictly forbidden to give strong drinks to a child. If alcohol accidentally enters the child’s body, urgent rinsing should be done and a doctor should be called.

Video: The effects of alcohol

Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give treatment recommendations based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.