Congener

Congener refers to any of several related compounds, usually produced together and including one that is of interest for its commercial or medicinal properties. In the context of alcoholic beverages, congeners are substances other than alcohol produced during fermentation. These substances include small amounts of chemicals such as methanol and other alcohols (known as fusel alcohols), acetone, acetaldehyde, esters, tannins, and aldehydes (e.g. furfural).

Chemical Congeners

In chemistry, a congener is a generic term for any distinct kind of entity in a mixture or combination. It is used in many scientific disciplines to denote one of many components in a set of related substances. It is used to identify a specific substance within a group of compounds or elements.

Alcohol Congeners

In the context of alcoholic beverages, congeners are substances, other than the desired type of alcohol, ethanol, produced during fermentation. These substances include small amounts of chemicals such as occasionally desired other alcohols (known as fusel alcohols), acetone, acetaldehyde, esters, tannins, and aldehydes (e.g. furfural).

Congeners in Medicine

In medicine, congeners are related organisms, such as a group of bacteria or viruses, that are so closely related that they share a common ancestor. This term is also used to describe drugs that have similar structures or effects, but may not be derived from the same compound.

Congeners in Environmental Science

In environmental science, congeners are used to refer to similar substances that are grouped together for analytical purposes, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or dioxin-like compounds.

See Also

• Chemistry
• Alcohol
• Medicine
• Environmental Science

Congener Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski