Negative Effects Of Alcohol Consumption example essay topic

Winston Churchill once said, "I have taken more good from alcohol than alcohol has gotten out of me (Winston Churchill)". Man has used alcohol since the dawn of time. There are many different types of alcohol but the one that seems to be most known about is ethanol, which is used to make alcoholic beverages. Although alcohol is used in many ways, it is important to know about the production of alcohol, the structure and properties of alcohol, and the effects it has in the body. The reader will be able to understand what alcohol is in alcoholic beverages, the formation and properties of alcohol and the reader will have a deeper understanding of how the body is affected by the consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol derives from the Arabic alhuhul, which denotes a fine powder of antimony, produced by distilling the element (Ethanol). Alcohol is a general term denoting a family of organic chemicals with common properties. These properties are characterized by one or more hydroxyl groups attached to a carbon atom, which is attached to three other atoms. Some of its members include: ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol, ect. Alcohol or ethanol is a clear, volatile liquid that burns easily. It is very soluble in water and has a small yet distinct odor (About Alcohol).

Alcohol is among the more abundantly produced organic chemicals in the industry. Ethanol or grain alcohol can be manufactured by fermentation from carbohydrates found in fruits, molasses, grains, and other agricultural products. Ethanol is used in toiletries and pharmaceuticals. It is most commonly found in the alcohol in alcoholic beverages (Britannica. com). Alcohol is a clear liquid at room temperature. It is less dense, evaporating at a lower temperature than water.

It is easily dissolved in water and is very flammable. Alcohol can be mad by four different methods: 1. Fermentation of fruit or grain mixtures 2. Distillation of fermented fruit or grain mixtures 3. Chemical modification of fossil fuel 4. Chemical combination of hydrogen with carbon monoxide (Alcohol's Effects) Ethanol, CH 3 CH 2 OH, is the alcohol that people drink when they are out getting drunk.

H H The molecular structure of ethyl alcohol is H C C O H comprised of Carbon, Hydrogen, and H H Oxygen: C 2 H 5 OH The process of fermentation of sugars makes ethanol. Zymase changes the simple sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process is very complex. In the production of beverages, impurities supply the flavor. Starches from potatoes, corn, wheat, and other plants can also be used in the production of ethanol. The starches are first broken down into simple starches.

An enzyme released by germinating barley, converts starches into sugars. The malting, or geminating of barley, is the first step in brewing beer form starchy plants, such as wheat and corn. Ethanol is normally concentrated by distillation of aqueous solutions. Pure alcohol cannot be obtained by distillation, because the vapor from the aqueous solution is ninety-six percent ethanol and four percent water (Ethanol). When an alcoholic beverage is swallowed, it passes through the stomach into the small intestine, where ethanol is rapidly absorbed and distributed throughout the body. The ethanol enters the body tissues in proportion to the water content.

This proves that ethanol is found more in the brain and blood rather than in muscle or fat tissue. Ethanol is toxic and the body starts to dispose of it right after is consumption (About Alcohol). Ethanol metabolism in alcoholics and non alcoholics is very different There has been a variable in the alcoholic's behavioral tolerance for large quantities of alcohol and as a potentially important factor which may account for differences in susceptibility to alcoholism. The acute effects of ethanol on intermediary metabolism my conceivably be due to the following: 1. Direct chemical action of ethanol on structural components such as a cytoplasmic membrane. 2.

Indirect results of the metabolism of ethanol are changes produced by acetaldehyde. 3. Indirect results of the process of intoxication, such as metabolic consequences of catecholamine secretion, increased diuresis, or other processes initiated by the CNS effects of ethanol (Khanna). Alcohol can affect the central nervous system in small concentrations.

In low concentrations, alcohol has the ability to reduce inhibitions. As blood alcohol concentration increases, a person's response to stimuli decreases markedly, speech becomes blurred, and a person response to stimuli decreases in a distinct way. If a person has high enough concentrations, the person could die (About Alcohol). Factors influencing alcohol's effects are: o Type of drink o How quickly it is drunk o Amount of food in stomach o Body weight of build o Mental and emotional state o Surroundings o Physical tolerance (Negative Effects) Tolerance and effects of men and woman of the same height, weight, and build will differ. Men tend to have more muscle and less fat than women. A given amount of alcohol will be diluted more in a man than a woman because muscle tissue has more water.

This proves a woman is affected sooner than the man because the blood alcohol concentration resulting from the dose will be higher for a woman. Alcohol is commonly classified as a depressant. There is also an excitement phase that comes with drinking alcohol. It gives well-known signs of exhilaration, loss of socially expected restraints, lack of consciousness, unexpected mood changes, and occasionally uncontrolled emotional displays. This phase may result from an indirect effect of alcohol in suppressing the function of inhibitory brain centers. The most important immediate actions of alcohol are on the highest functions of the brain, such as: thinking, learning, remembering, and making judgments.

The biphasic action of alcohol is evident in the effect of thinking. After a certain amount of alcohol a person's thinking and judgment becomes impaired (Britannica. com). The body begins to dispose of alcohol immediately after it has been absorbed. A little proportion is inhaled through the lungs and a small amount is excreted in sweat. A small proportion goes through the kidneys and will remain in the bladder until it goes away in urine. The rest of the alcohol is disposed of through the liver in a metabolic process.

Some other effects of alcohol through the consumption of alcoholic beverages can are in damage to the tissues of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. The heart muscle is also affected as well the liver, which really has an affect while coping with the detoxication of large amounts of alcohol. Drinking alcohol heavily to severe degrees of intoxication in an organism has been shown to be linked to many impairments or injuries of many organs. The most common linkage is with diseases caused by the defects of nutrition because the person does not have a steady diet (Britannica. com). Physical tolerance means that the drinker's brain and nervous system have become less sensitive to alcohol's effect.

Physical dependence is characterized by increase of tolerance, which requires greater doses in order too have an effect (Alcohol's Effects) Some more negative effects of alcohol consumption include: water loss, electrolyte depletion, and vitamin deficiency. Water loss is rapid within several hours. Electrolyte depletion is the depletion of tissue magnesium, which is commonly found in alcohol abusers. Vitamin Deficiency is folate deficiency occurring in most binge alcohol users. It interferes with vitamin B 12 absorption and it is a common cause of anemia (Negative Effects). Affects on the brain are a serious concern for many alcohol abusers.

The order in which alcohol affects the various brain centers is: 1. The cerebral cortex that is the highest portion of the brain. It depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers, slows down processing of information from the senses, and inhibits thought process. 2.

The limbic system, which controls states of emotion. 3. The cerebellum, which coordinates movement of muscles. 4. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which controls and influences many automatic functions of the brain. 5.

The medulla, which controls and influences bodily functions (Alcohol's Effects). The effects of alcohol can both have a major effect on a person in a physiological and psychological ways. A person should no their limits when it comes to the consumption of any alcoholic beverages. People are at risk of getting alcohol poisoning when they drink too much alcohol. If that happens then a person will have to get their stomach pumped in order to clear the body from all the toxic substances in the alcohol. As a human, that should teach anyone that drinking to much alcohol is not worth hurting his / her body.

Anyone who drinks should drink moderately. Alcohol can definitely have a major effect on the body. To help better understand alcohol, it is necessary to understand its structure and effects. The body can only take so much alcohol, so next time someone thinks about drinking heavily her / she might think differently after knowing the effects. Again, Winston Churchill said, "My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and drinking of alcohol before, after, and if need be during all meals and in the time between them (Winston Churchill).".