Ingestion of methanol is a medical emergency. It is often treated by administering ethanol, which prevents the dangerous effects of methanol metabolism. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde (methanol), a toxic molecule that damages proteins (and many other biomolecules). Ethanol is oxidized by the same enzyme as methanol, alcohol dehydrogenase, to acetaldehyde, a metabolite that can be further processed and is less harmful to biomolecules. Why is ethanol given to patients that have ingested methanol? Justify your answer with an explanation that uses theory from the course content

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Methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde and formic acid by alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases respectively The rate at which formic acid is metaboliz... View the full answer