4: Alcohol and the CNS

Question 1

Alcohol is (clear / coloured) with a (pleasant / unpleasant) odour.

Answer 1

clear

pleasant

Question 2

Alcohol is aliphatic - what does this mean?

Answer 2

Forms chains, not aromatic rings

Question 3

Is alcohol soluble?

Answer 3

Yeah

Question 4

What is the functional group found in alcohol?

Answer 4

Hydroxyl

-OH

Question 5

What kind of bonding does the hydroxyl group of ethanol give rise to?

Answer 5

Hydrogen bonding

Question 6

Does ethanol have any isomers?

Answer 6

No

Question 7

Ethanol is well absorbed by the ___ route.

Answer 7

oral

Question 8

20% of ethanol absorption occurs in the ___.

The other 80% occurs in the ___ ___.

Answer 8

stomach

small intestine

Question 9

Ethanol has the capacity to produce which effect?

Answer 9

General anaesthesia

Question 10

As the number of carbons in an alcohol molecule increases, the greater their ability to act as a ___ ___.

What is this rule called?

Answer 10

general anaesthetic

Meyer-Overton Rule

Question 11

Are alcohols used as a general anaesthetic in humans?

Answer 11

No

jesus christ

Question 12

What is the cut-off point for the general anaesthetic effects of n-alcohols?

Answer 12

Hexanol (6) - pentanol (8)

Then it starts to decrease

Question 13

What effects does alcohol have in mice?

Answer 13

Loss of righting reflex (can’t adjust to changes from upright)

Ataxia (difficulty walking)

Question 14

Ethanol affects which two types of neurotransmitter in the CNS?

Answer 14

Excitatory

Inhibitory

Question 15

Which excitatory neurotransmitter does ethanol affect?

Answer 15

Glutamate

Question 16

Which inhibitory neurotransmitters are affected by ethanol?

Answer 16

GABA

Glycine

Question 17

Excitatory neurotransmitters such as ___ allow the entry of ___ ions.

What effect does this have on the membrane potential?

Answer 17

glutamate , sodium

depolarisation

Question 18

Inhibitory neurotransmitters such as ___ or ___ allow the entry of ___ ions.

What effect does this have on the membrane potential?

Answer 18

GABA or glycine , chloride

hyperpolarisation

Question 19

Glutamate triggers an ____ action potential.

Answer 19

excitatory

Question 20

GABA and glycine trigger an ____ action potential.

Answer 20

inhibitory

Question 21

Ethanol’s effects on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters is thought to cause one of its main effects, which is ___ ___.

Answer 21

CNS depression

Question 22

Lots of proteins have cavities specifically “designed” for the binding of ___.

Answer 22

ethanol

Question 23

What is the drink-drive limit in BAC?

Answer 23

0.05g / 100ml blood

i.e 0.05

Question 24

(See BAC chart for effects on behaviour at different blood alcohol concentrations.)