NEUR 3200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase, Alcohol Dehydrogenase, Ethanol
Document Summary
Inhalants (gasoline, paint thinner, glue: one of the most widely used recreational drug. Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the form used in beverages: high in calories and provides no proteins, vitamins, or minerals, chronic consumption in lieu of food results in inadequate nutrition and may lead to brain damage. Methyl alcohol is highly toxic liver metabolites include formic acid and formaldehyde: causes blindness, coma, and death. Ethanol is easily absorbed from the gi tract and diffuses throughout the body, readily entering most tissues, including the brain. Many factors influence blood levels of ethanol; thus behavioral effects are described on the basis of blood alcohol concentration (bac) rather than the amount ingested. Alcohol absorption: alcohol moves by passive diffusion across membranes from higher concentration (the gi tract) to lower concentration (the blood). About 95% is metabolized by the liver; the remaining 5% is excreted by the lungs and can be measured using a breathalyzer.