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The EC number of alcohol dehydrogenases is EC 1.1.1.1; their CAS number is 9031-72-5.
In humans, the enzyme is contained in the lining of the stomach and in the liver. It catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehydeAcetaldehyde also known as ethanal is a chemical compound, an aldehyde with formula C HCH O and structure : It is a highly reactive flammable liquid with a strong fruity smell. It melts at -123. 5° C and boils at 21° C. It occurs naturally in ripe fruit a:
This allows the consumption of alcoholic beverageAlcoholic beverages are drinks containing ethanol, popularly called alcohol''. Alcoholic beverages have been widely used since the remote antiquity by many civilizations around the world, as a component of the standard diet, for hygienic reasons, for theis, but its original purpose is probably the breakdown of alcohols naturally contained in foods or produced by bacteria in the digestive tract. Note that acetaldehyde is even more toxic than ethanol and is responsible for many of the hangoverA hangover is the after-effect following the consumption of large amounts of one drug or another. In particular, it is most commonly associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Veisalgia is the medical term for the condition. The symptoms An a symptoms, but it is quickly converted to acetic acidThe chemical compound acetic acid (from the Latin word acetum meaning "vinegar"), systematically called ethanoic acid is the acid that gives vinegar its sour taste. It is a carboxylic acid with chemical formula CHO, often written as CHCOOH to better refle and other harmless molecules.
Alcohol dehydrogenase also oxidizes methanol to formaldehyde, and the dangerous effects of the latter are the main reason for the toxicity of the former. The conventional treatment of methanol poisoning involves administration of ethanol: this keeps the alcohol dehydrogenase busy with ethanol, so that the methanol can be cleared out of the system before it is converted to formaldehyde. There is also now a newer drug for treating methanol poisoning: it blocks the action of alcohol dehydrogenase.
Humans have at least six slightly different alcohol dehydrogenases. All of them are dimers (consist of two polypeptides), with each dimer containing two zinc ions Zn2+. One of those ions is crucial for the operation of the enzyme: it is located at the catalytic site and holds the hydroxyl group of the alcohol in place.
The version of alcohol dehydrogenase in women is less effective than that in men, which is part of the reason that women have a lower tolerance for alcohol than men.