What is alcohol, where does it come from and what are its most frequent uses?
Alcohols are chemical substances that come from the fermentation of fruits or grains in the presence of yeasts, or are produced as petroleum derivatives. They are colorless liquids, which can dissolve in water and have a characteristic odor. Those produced by fermentation give rise to alcoholic beverages, from wines to so-called white drinks, which are distilled spirits such as whiskey, vodka, rum, and so on.
This type of alcohol is the one that we commonly know and that we use both in our medicine cabinet to disinfect wounds and in the kitchen to make liquors, etc. It is ethyl alcohol and comes, in most cases, from the fermentation of sugarcane.
Its disinfectant properties are well known. Its greatest bactericidal potential is not obtained with pure alcohol but at a concentration of approximately 70%. It is also used very often in the manufacture of medicines, in the cosmetic and food industries, as fuel and in a host of other products
Yes now!! let the fun begin!
The egg in alcohol: it looks fried but it is not!!
Why alcohol is used to clean fats ?, And to disinfect? In this experiment we will put an egg in a little alcohol that is used as an antiseptic for children to check and know some of its interesting properties. The result is an egg that looks like it is fried or cooked but is NOT EDIBLE.
Although we will only use a small amount of alcohol do not forget to take precautions:
- The room should be well ventilated.
- Alcohol can not be ingested, it is poisonous.
Materials:
- Pharmacy alcohol. You can also try some alcoholic beverage, although the effect will not be as dramatic.
- A bowl or a deep dish.
- Plastic film of kitchen.
- A raw egg
Process:
- Put a stream of alcohol in the bowl.
- Drop the egg and add a little more alcohol on top.
- Cover with plastic film. The evaporation of alcohol will not be so fast and you will avoid the smell of alcohol.
- Wait 2 days and observe what happens with the passage of time.
- Examine the egg and cut it to see the inside
What has happened?
Alcohol goes by denaturing egg proteins, which are found mainly in the egg white. When proteins are denatured they lose part of their molecular structure and therefore their appearance changes. Almost immediately we observe that the white one is becoming white and solid just like when we cook an egg. And the heat also denatures proteins.
In turn, the egg is dehydrated, water leaves its tissues and alcohol enters. This same method of dehydration is used in medicine to study tissue samples under a microscope. And there is more, because alcohol also dissolves lipids, fats, which are found mostly in the yolk but are also constituents along with the proteins of cell membranes.
That's why alcohol is used to clean grease, literally dissolve it, and to disinfect, denaturing proteins and dissolving lipids from the cell membranes of bacteria. All this means that after two days we have an egg that looks like it is cooked but it is not, because heat is needed to cook it. The egg should never be ingested since the pharmacy alcohol is denatured. It is usually ethyl alcohol, like that of alcoholic beverages, mixed with some additive that makes it toxic, simply so that no one can think of making their own liquors without paying the corresponding taxes.
