Methanol is the simplest alcohol, consisting exclusively of a methyl group and a hydroxyl moiety. It is both an important industrial molecule (solvent, fuel, building block for chemical synthesis) and a biological metabolite; many bacteria generate methanol as a result of anaerobic metabolism. In humans, ingestion of large quantities of methanol is toxic and suppresses the nervous system; this is termed `methanol poisoning'. As such, methanol is frequently used as an additive in industrial alcohols to prevent human consumption. The toxicity of methanol is primarily due to the biological product of its metabolism, formaldehyde, which is further metabolized into formic acid. At lower concentrations, methanol poisoning can cause loss of coordi
Size
100 assays
Concentration
n/a
Applications
Determination of methanol in biological samples, anaerobic bacterial cultures, agricultural products and food products