PSY 374 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase, Blood Alcohol Content, Alcohol Dehydrogenase
Document Summary
Psychopharmacology of alcohol: neurochemical effects of alcohol. Alcohol, after caffeine, is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in america and is the most abused. It has been used for millennia, starting with mead, beer, and wine. Distillation increased the potency of readily available alcoholic beverages. The distillation process is frequently credited with the start of serious alcohol abuse in europe and later in america. Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the form used in beverages. Methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) is highly toxic the liver metabolites include formic acid and formaldehyde; causes blindness, coma, and death. Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is often used as a solvent; it is not safe to drink. Figure 10. 2 chemical structures of three commonly used forms of alcohol. Ethanol is easily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal (gi) tract and diffuses throughout the body, readily entering most tissues, including the brain.
