Why is methanol highly toxic while ethanol is much less so, despite their similar structures?

Why is methanol highly toxic while ethanol is much less so, despite their similar structures?
The difference in toxicity between methanol and ethanol is rooted in evolutionary biology. Ethanol forms naturally through fermentation of rotting fruit and grains, so organisms that developed tolerance to it gained access to a broader food supply, giving them a survival advantage. Over time, this tolerance spread through populations. Methanol, however, rarely forms naturally in quantities that would confer such an advantage, so few species evolved mechanisms to metabolize it safely. For most organisms, methanol remains acutely toxic. This evolutionary perspective explains why ethanol is widely used in beverages, disinfectants, and pharmaceuticals, while methanol requires strict handling precautions. In industrial markets, this toxicity gap also drives different regulatory frameworks, storage requirements, and downstream applications for the two alcohols.