this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2023
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Don’t You Know Who I Am?
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I'm not a chemist but I like drugs. What's up with methyl groups?
A methyl group is the name given to single carbon (with 3 hydrogens attached) when substituted onto a larger chemical moiety (a structure or motif in chemistry). When people speak about methyl groups they're mostly speaking about those single carbon methyl group being attached to a heteroatom (atoms other than carbon and hydrogen in organic chemistry, like nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, etc.).
Methamphetamine (N-methylamphetamine or N-methyl alpha-methyl-phenyl-ethylamine in full form) has a methyl group on it's amine (nitrogen or N-position), which drastically alters its psychological effects and the way it's synthesized by chemists (requiring methylamine). The methyl group there prolonges the stimulating effects, while also providing serotonergic effects (generally euphoric effects caused by interaction with the serotonin receptor transport protein), which gives it much greater addiction potential.
Methyl groups in general don't "make drugs stronger" like the other guy said. To consider drug receptor interaction you need to take into account how well a molecule fits into the receptor you're targetting as a whole.
Thats super interesring. It always amazes me how a small modification like a methyl group can so drastically alter the psychoactive properties of a substance. The body is such a nuanced and complicated system, its fascinating.
I really hope drug laws change so that we can see more research being done. Things like this help us learn more about not just the sustance, but the way our chemisty works & how our concious experience is shaped.
If you have any cool links on this topic, id love to browse them. Either way thanks for your run down on methyl groups :)
Moiety? Motif? Never heard of these things in this context. Why not just compound or structure? Good post otherwise.
I'm not referring to the compound or structure as a whole with this. Calling anything a moiety is just a way of singling out one specific part of a molecule, without it having to be a specific functional group in chemistry (like amines, alcohols, methoxy groups, halides, ketones, etc.). It's sometimes also called a motif in the same way that repeating paterns in art can be a motif.
You're right that I probably put that in a confusing way. What I meant is that methyl groups are mostly used in the context of methoxy groups and secondary (like methamphetamine) and tertiary amines/imines and ethers, but sometimes also with a carbon - carbon bond, which isn't really the same thing.
What exactly is methanol a good example of? Are you saying methanol is a “stronger drug” than some other type of alcohol? Honestly confused here.
No idea what they're on about, but if I had to wager a guess....
Ethyl alcohol, is generally drinking alcohol. You'll find it in every bottle of liquor or spirits or beer.... Also known as ethanol, it's a good time. There are some studies linking it to cancer so please self regulate.
Methyl alcohol, aka methanol is most commonly associated to moonshine, though, commonalities shouldn't necessarily imply that all moonshine or moonshine labeled or marketed products contain methanol. As an alcohol, it has a similar but usually a perceived stronger effect. The problem is that the bodies natural systems to break down methyl alcohol actually cause the body up convert it into two different neurotoxins, which is where moonshine gets the reputation that it makes you go blind. The neurotoxins literally cause nerve damage causing your vision to be lost in extreme cases. In very low doses, the likelihood of long term effects from drinking methanol is rather low, but large doses of methanol have the very real chance of blinding or killing you.
Due to this, I expect the poster was trying to make a joke about how methanol is significantly more potent than "regular" alcohol aka ethanol; implying it was stronger due to "meth".
But I'm just guessing.
They both contain one methyl group, however. It’s literally the alcohol with the fewest methyl groups. I mean we could start talking about isopropyl alcohol with two, but I’d hesitate to characterize it as a “drug”.
It is a drug mate
Isopropyl alcohol? I guess in the sense that any poison is a drug. It’s not going to have any positive effects at any dose. I wouldn’t know how to quantify it’s “strength” vs methanol. LD50, assuming the desired effect was death?
Drug has a pretty loose definition - anything with a physiological effect; but I was trained to think a drug as being those chemicals which can cross the blood brain barrier (BBB).
Alcohols can increase permeability of the BBB to solubilized substances in the blood so isopropyl would be able to affect the brain. Since a molecule has to cross lipid membranes (the capillary cell membranes etc) it's most dependent on the polarity and size of the molecule.
This is another valid way to define a drug depending on which branch of science one is inclined to study but I prefer to think of this as merely adding a characteristic to that molecule; i.e. addictive qualities
It's a drug mate
Good talk
While we are glad you used the trade mark your misspelling means we will have to dock part of your stipend.
John Soda Marketing Exec
Please go and drink some then, if this is really what you think.