Aspirin is a

Options

A. narcotic
B. antipyretic
C. antimalarial
D. antiseptic

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Definition of Aspirin**: Aspirin is a pharmaceutical drug, commonly used for its analgesic (pain-relieving) and antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties.

2. **Chemical Name**: The chemical name of aspirin is 2-acetoxybenzoic acid. This name gives insight into its structure and functional groups.

3. **Structure of Aspirin**:
- **Benzoic Acid**: Start with the structure of benzoic acid, which consists of a benzene ring attached to a carboxylic acid group (-COOH).
- **Acetoxy Group**: The acetoxy group (–OCOCH3) is attached to the second carbon of the benzene ring.
- **Final Structure**: Combining these two components, the structure of aspirin can be represented as:
- A benzene ring with a carboxylic acid group at one position and an acetoxy group at the second position.

4. **Uses of Aspirin**:
- **Analgesic**: It reduces pain.
- **Antipyretic**: It helps in lowering fever.
- **Blood Thinning**: Aspirin also acts as a blood thinner, which can reduce the risk of heart attacks by preventing blood clots.

5. **Classification**: Based on its properties and uses, aspirin is classified as:
- **Analgesic**: For pain relief.
- **Antipyretic**: For fever reduction.
- It is not classified as a narcotic or antiseptic.

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the correct classification of aspirin from the given options is **antipyretic**.