Methanol is far more toxic than ethanol because in the body it is oxidised to
- A. carbon dioxide and water
- B. methanoic acid and methanal, which damage the optic nerve
- C. ethanol
- D. glucose
Explanation
The same enzyme that handles ethanol converts methanol into methanal and then methanoic acid, and these attack the optic nerve and cause acidosis, so blindness or death can follow a small dose. Treatment works by giving ethanol, which competes for the enzyme and lets methanol be excreted unchanged. This is why methylated spirit is deliberately made undrinkable.
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