This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: When an individual drinks regularly, how does this affect his/her liver ... (Read 31 times)

APUS57

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 571
When an individual drinks regularly, how does this affect his/her liver function?

Question 2

Ben and his date Marla have both had 4 beers. Ben is 6' 3 and weighs 240 lb. Marla is 5' 3 and weighs 130 lb. Will their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels be the same? If not, why not?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

matt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 344
Answer to Question 1

Frequent and chronic alcohol consumption can interfere with normal liver function partly because the two main by-products of alcohol metabolism are acetaldehyde and NADH + H+. The accumulation of acetaldehyde damages the liver, impairing its function. Alcohol metabolism also raises NADH + H+ levels and lowers NAD+ levels in the liver. As a result, the activity of numerous NAD-linked enzymes becomes limited. With limited NAD+, pyruvate is instead converted to lactate.

Answer to Question 2

If two people of similar body weight ingest the same amount of alcohol, the leaner person will have a lower BAC. This occurs because alcohol diffuses from the blood and into the lean tissue until equilibrium is reached. In contrast, adipose tissue takes up very little alcohol, so that more remains in the blood. An individual with a large body tends to have more blood and body fluids than one with a smaller body, diluting the concentration of alcohol. Therefore, the BAC of a large person (Ben) and/or one with more lean tissue is often lower than that of a small person (Marla) and/or one with less lean tissue after drinking the same amount of alcohol. Because Ben is larger and probably leaner (because he is male), Ben's BAC will be lower than Marla's.



APUS57

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 571
Both answers were spot on, thank you once again



matt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 344
Great! Please up vote :D



 

Did you know?

Signs and symptoms of a drug overdose include losing consciousness, fever or sweating, breathing problems, abnormal pulse, and changes in skin color.

Did you know?

As many as 28% of hospitalized patients requiring mechanical ventilators to help them breathe (for more than 48 hours) will develop ventilator-associated pneumonia. Current therapy involves intravenous antibiotics, but new antibiotics that can be inhaled (and more directly treat the infection) are being developed.

Did you know?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. As of yet, there is no cure. Everyone is at risk, and there may be no warning signs. It is six to eight times more common in African Americans than in whites. The best and most effective way to detect glaucoma is to receive a dilated eye examination.

Did you know?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released reports detailing the deaths of infants (younger than 1 year of age) who died after being given cold and cough medications. This underscores the importance of educating parents that children younger than 2 years of age should never be given over-the-counter cold and cough medications without consulting their physicians.

Did you know?

The highest suicide rate in the United States is among people ages 65 years and older. Almost 15% of people in this age group commit suicide every year.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library