Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol (CH3CH2OH) to acetaldehyde, which is then fed into pathways to make fatty acids or to be used as a fuel source. The human body can therefore tolerate a certain amount of ethanol. However, the body cannot tolerate methanol (CH3OH). When methanol is ingested, ADH acts on it, breaking it down to formaldehyde, which is toxic to the human body. Emergency medical treatment for methanol poisoning includes intravenous injection of ethanol. Which statement provides the simplest, most likely explanation for how ethanol acts to prevent harm from methanol ingestion? a. Ethanol acts to protect ADH from irreversible denaturation by methanol.
b. Ethanol acts as a competitive inhibitor of methanol to decrease the rate of methanol oxidation by ADH
c. Ethanol acts as an allosteric activator to increase the rate of methanol oxidation by ADH.
d. Ethanol acts to dilute the concentration of methanol in the body.
e. Ethanol acts as an irreversible inhibitor of ADH to shut down its ability to carry out methanol oxidation.