system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How come liquid hydrocarbons, e.g. hexane, are poisonous but not solid, waxy ones, e.g. paraffin?
gpt
It is very likely that the longer chain hydrocarbons that comprise paraffin wax and mineral oils(Often used as a laxative) are unable to be effectively absorbed by systems we have in place to deal with hydrophobic substances (Such as triglycerides and hydrophobic drugs). The very large size of these hydrocarbons prevents effective transport across the cell membrane, and likely interfere with micelle formation in the intestine, preventing absorption by this system.