Week 3 - Alcohol

Question 1

How is alcohol formed?

Answer 1

• Yeast produces the toxic metabolite ethanol as a bi-product when that metabolise sugar for energy.
• All drugs are toxic depending on dose and duration this is true of alcohol. Long term moderate use can result in serious adverse effects

Question 2

What can the excessive use of alcohol lead to?

Answer 2

• Alcohol Dementia
• Korsakoff’s syndrome
  - amnesia (memory/recognition/movement/speech)
  - confabulation (created memories)
  - apathy (shortened attention span/indifferent to change)

Question 3

Alcoholic Dose and Metabolism

Answer 3

• Doses of alcohol are measured in BAC, that is blood alcohol concentration.
• It is metabolised in to the highly reactive and toxic compound acetlyaldehyde, by an enzyme called Alcohol dehydrogenase. Then is is metabolised again into acetic acid(vinegar) via the same enzyme

Question 4

Treatment for alcohol addiction

Answer 4

• Rehab (can lead to withdrawals)
• Antabuse can be used to prevent the second stage of metabolism meaning the user is left feel sick and uncomfortable meaning they don’t want to continue drinking.

Question 5

Stages of alcohol intoxication

Answer 5

• Euphoria, Talkativeness
• Central nervous system depression, nausea , impaired movement and thought (0.1).
• Decreased blood flow to brain
• Possible unconsciousness (0.3)
• Death (0.55)

Question 6

Alcohols deeper effects

Answer 6

• Alcohol depressing the CNS impairs your decision making and so often actions we wouldn’t usually undertake in the interest of self preservation are undertaken anyway as we are unable to process them to a proper degree. (Limbic system)
• This is because GABA attaches to GABA receptors to inhibit neuron function. Alcohol also binds to them causing excess inhibition.

Question 7

Effects of Minor/Major alcohol abuse

Answer 7

Minor
- alteration of brain function 
- loss of inhibitions 
- impairment of senses
Major
- Damage to internal organs e.g. Liver, Stomach, Pancreas, Heart

Question 8

Alcohol Liver Disease(ALD) and 3 Stages

Answer 8

• excessive alcohol consumption causeing liver failure. Large mortality rate in US due to ALD
• 40% of liver transplants due to ALD
• Fatty liver -> 6 standard drinks/day -> build up of fat on liver causing enlargement and pain
• Liver Hepatitis -> Heavy drinking -> Jaundice, liver shrinking, fatigue, impaired liver function
• Cirrhosis of Liver -> prolonged heavy abuse -> Irreversible damage and scarring to the liver, requires transplant, effects immune function.

Question 9

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 9

• Knowledge of ancient suspicion
• Results in facial disfigurations including small head, short nose, low nasal bridge or an underdeveloped jaw. Brain changes in FAS include lower IQ, hyperactivity, high rate of psychiatric illness, impaired motor skills etc
• Alcohol can also lead to still births or SIDS