2007-02-28 19:57:51 · 6 answers · asked by rina j 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
becaus it have no chemical components in it so to speak it is considered pure grain it so pure it has the properties to sterilize or disinfect curious sort of a thing
2007-02-28 20:09:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Alcohols, usually ethanol or isopropanol, are wiped over benches and skin and allowed to evaporate for quick disinfection. They have wide microbiocidal activity, are non corrosive, but can be a fire hazard. They also have limited residual activity due to evaporation, and have a limited activity in the presence of organic material. Alcohols are more effective combined with water, 70% alcohol is more active than 95% alcohol. Alcohol is not effective against fungal or bacterial spores.
2007-03-05 02:08:37 · answer #2 · answered by Sherwin R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well bc there is something called ethyl in it.
There are two general types of rubbing alcohol, one made primarily from ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and the other from isopropyl alcohol. Both kill bacteria okay but are less effective on viruses. It is best if a surface is physically cleaned (washed with soap and water) before being rubbed with alcohol. As it evaporates, it sucks out the insides of bacteria and viruses and kills them. However, they won't be dead until all the alcohol has evaporated.
Ethyl alcohol, at the concentrations used in most antibacterial preparations, kills bacteria by disrupting membranes and by denaturing proteins. Ethylalcohol is miscible in water (that is, completely soluble). But ethyl alcohol can also dissolve in the membranes of cells. These membranes are composed of lipids, compounds that do not dissolve readily in water. As the alcohol works its way into the membranes, it disrupts their structure and function. Membranes delineate the inside from the outside of the bacterial cell. When the membranes get disrupted, the insides of the bacteria can be lost. Ethyl alcohol can readily get into the bacterial cell because it can pass through the membrane. Once inside the cell in high concentration, it changes the normal solvent of the cell (which is primarily water). In this new solvent, composed of water and ethyl alcohol, proteins no longer fold properly and can be "denatured" (that is, they lose the structure that is necessary for them to have their natural function). Without proper proteins, cells cannot survive.
Ethyl alcohol is also toxic to humans at high enough concentrations. It's also the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, so clearly low concentrations won't kill. Ethyl alcohol is not readily taken up through the skin, so unless we ingest it, it's hard to get dangerous doses of this chemical. So the combination of low toxicity to humans (when used properly) and high toxicity to bacteria (at the high concentrations in which it is used) makes ethyl alcohol a common choice as an antibacterial hope this helps
2007-03-01 04:07:25 · answer #3 · answered by mystique_dragon4 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Simply put, alcohol is toxic. It does a wonderful job of killing germs and bacteria.
2007-03-01 04:06:36 · answer #4 · answered by beam_me_up_spotty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it has been found to kill all of the various types of germs that cause illness and infections in humans.
HTH âº
Doug
2007-03-01 04:03:12 · answer #5 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cause it kills germs.
2007-03-01 04:02:24 · answer #6 · answered by Wonka 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋