Digestion of alcohol is not like other food|Males and females differ in metabolizing #alcohol

Digestion of alcohol is not like the other food. Once alcohol is swallowed, a small amount is absorbed directly by the tongue and mucosal lining of the mouth. although this amount is generally insignificant because residual alcohol leaves the mouth quickly Alcohol dries the mouth and can even dehydrate your entire body. The drying effects of alcohol can result in a white tongue, a condition that occurs when papillae become inflamed and bacteria and dead cells become trapped within them causing a white film to cover the surface of the tongue After alcohol leaves the mouth, it flows down the esophagus and into the stomach If there is no solid food in the stomach most of the alcohol moves down into the small intestine and will come into contact with the intestinal walls more easily and pass quickly into the blood in this way, All the alcohol of one drink may be absorbed within 30 minutes. If one drinks alcohol with food in the stomach it will be trapped with the food in the stomach where absorption is not very efficient. it can’t move into the small intestine immediately, this, slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream considerably and the person will become impaired more slowly and will reach a lower peak alcohol concentration also, Alcohol increases acid in the stomach which in alcohol abusers can lead to severe stomach pain sores in the intestines . This is why it is a good idea to eat a nice big meal while you are drinking. In fact, The presence of fatty meals can significantly reduce the peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) up to 50% relative to that produced when alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach The overwhelming majority of absorption takes place in the small intestine because of the extremely large surface area of the small intestine The cells that line the small intestine are called epithelial cells These cells are perfect for absorption because they have fingers- which increases the surface area for absorption of nutrients and other molecules through the membranes To be absorbed, alcohol moves across the epithelial cells through the interstitial space and into the capillaries The capillaries are made of endothelial cells The biological membrane structure allows small uncharged molecules like ethanol, CO2, and water to pass directly through the membrane by the process of diffusion. Like all internal organs, the stomach and small intestine are wrapped in a fine network of capillaries once alcohol crosses the interstitial space, it is carried by the bloodstream into the veins where it can then be distributed throughout the cells of different organs like liver ,brain , kidney, lungs , skin and even in the unborn baby! in the brain, Alcohol directly affects neurotransmitters which control behavior and thought It blocks chemical signals between brain cells called neurons leading to the common immediate symptoms of intoxication including mood changes and impaired ability to think impulsive behavior, slurred speech, poor memory, slowed reflexes and coordinate movement The effects are directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed However, like many drugs, alcohol also stimulates the release of dopamine in your body which tricks your body into feeling pleasure and can in turn make you associate drinking alcohol with feeling great The tricky part here, is that the more you drink alcohol to get that feeling, the less dopamine your body releases. Over time, you end up being mentally hooked, forever in search of that pleasurable feeling you think that alcohol gives you. This is where addictions take hold. the main organ that processes alcohol is the liver The liver weighs is more than three pounds and it is the largest organ in the body One of the liver’s main jobs is to get rid of poisons like alcohol—that enter the body Without the liver, we could not live. More than 90 percent of ingested alcohol is metabolized in the liver at a rate of approximately half an ounce per hour but the rate varies from person to person The rate of degradation and clearance in the liver depends on a variety of genetic and environmental factors including body size, previous alcohol exposure food intake and one's general health While waiting to be degraded, alcohol stays in the blood and some will be excreted through the breath (which is how Breathalyzers work) urine, saliva, and sweat The liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink so that it can be removed from the body. there are mainly two enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) These enzymes help break apart the alcohol molecule making it possible to eliminate it from the body This creates substances that are even more harmful than alcohol. Heavy drinking over a period of years can damage and cause serious liver disease Males and females differ in their ability to metabolize alcohol This difference is due to variations in the amount and activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol Males have highly active forms of ADH in their stomach and their liver The presence of ADH in the stomach of males can reduce the absorption of alcohol by 30% Scientists have discovered that women produce smaller quantities of alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme (ADH) have almost no ADH in their stomach In result, females absorb more alcohol into their bloodstream. Additionally, the ADH in the liver of females is much less active than the ADH in the male liver these gender differences in alcohol metabolism if they both consume the same amount of alcohol For the same number of drinks it is easier for females to become intoxicated

Channel: Dandelion Medical Animation

Views: 13,837,335

Keywords: medical, medical animation, alcohol dehydrogenase, ethanol metabolism, Digestion of alcohol, Digestion, white tongue, drink, absorption, peak alcohol, stomach acid, epithelial cells, nutrients, interstitial space, capillaries, endothelial cells, ethanol, neurotransmitters, how alcohol affects the body, alcohol metabolism, ethanol metabolism pathway, alcohol metabolism pathway, ethanol metabolism in liver, medical coding, alcohol metabolism usmle, medical terminology, medical medium

Id: 9Oslu11jnmM

Length: 8min 23sec (503 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 25 2021