PSYD35H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Gaba Receptor, Alcohol Dehydrogenase, 5-Ht3 Receptor
Document Summary
Alcohol diffuses easily across all biological membranes: after it is drank, it is rapidly and completely absorbed from the entire gastrointestinal tract. Approximately 95% of the alcohol a person ingests is enzymatically metabolized by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (adh: other 5% is excreted unchanged; mainly through lungs, some through urine. The metabolism of alcohol by adh is only the first step in a normal three-step metabolic process involved in the breakdown of alcohol: alcohol dehydrogenase functions to convert alcohol to acetaldehyde. A coenzyme called micotinaminde adenine dinucleotide (nad) is required for the activity of this enzyme. The availability of nad is the rate-limiting step in this reaction: the enzyme adh converts acetaldehyde to acetic acid, acetic acid is broken down into carbon dioxide and water, thus releasing energy (calories) May help persons with potentially fatal blood alcohol levels to survive toxic levels of alcohol.
