In alcohol metabolism, acetaldehyde is converted to which substance?

In alcohol metabolism, acetaldehyde is converted to which substance?

• A. Acetate
• B. Ethanol
• C. Formaldehyde
• D. Methanol

Answer: (A)

The idea here is that after ethanol is turned into acetaldehyde, the body rapidly converts that acetaldehyde into acetate using the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. This acetate is then used in energy metabolism, often being transformed into acetyl-CoA to enter the citric acid cycle or for other biochemical processes. The other substances listed are not the product of this step: formaldehyde and methanol are from different, toxic pathways, and ethanol is the molecule that gets oxidized to acetaldehyde, not the product of its metabolism. So acetate is the correct substance.

The idea here is that after ethanol is turned into acetaldehyde, the body rapidly converts that acetaldehyde into acetate using the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. This acetate is then used in energy metabolism, often being transformed into acetyl-CoA to enter the citric acid cycle or for other biochemical processes. The other substances listed are not the product of this step: formaldehyde and methanol are from different, toxic pathways, and ethanol is the molecule that gets oxidized to acetaldehyde, not the product of its metabolism. So acetate is the correct substance.