How Does Alcohol Beverages Affect the

Body?By Juan Lona

Period 6; 9th Grade Biology

Standards 1h Students know most macromolecules

(polysaccharides, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids) in cells and organisms are synthesized from a small collection of simple precursors.

9g Students know the homeostatic role of the kidneys in the removal of nitrogenous wastes and the role of the liver in blood detoxification and glucose balance.

Vocabulary Ethanol :(also known as drinking alcohol) is a volatile, flammable,

colorless liquid.

Liver-a large, reddish-brown, glandular organ located in the upper right side of the abdominal cavity, divided by fissures into five lobes and functioning in the secretion of bile and various metabolic processes.

Fatty Liver-an abnormal condition of the liver that is characterized by lipid accumulation in the hepatocytes to the extent that lipids account

What is Alcohol Beverage?Alcohol Beverage is a drink that contains

ethanol.[1]

Fact: Alcohol Beverage is divided into 3 general classes: beers, wines, and spirits.

Problems With Alcohol Beverages

An example would be alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis), heart disease, cancer, and strokes.[1]

But the only disease that I am going to talk about is alcoholic liver disease.

The Liver The liver is the largest

and most important organ in the body.

The jobs that the liver makes for example are changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and poisons from the blood.[2]

Cont.Also, the liver is used for controlling hormone

levels, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels.

Proteins The liver produces a lot of proteins.

Proteins are biochemical compounds.[3] In other words, they are natural polymer molecules consisting of amino acid units. The number of amino acids in proteins may range from two to several thousand[3].

Protein

Alcoholic Liver DiseaseAlcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a disease that

encompasses the hepatic manifestations of alcohol, fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and chronic hepatitis [4]. In other words it is cirrhosis.

So how is alcoholic liver disease develop?

It is develop of years of drinking. This may cause swelling and inflammation in the liver.[5]

Cirrhosis Cirrhosis is scarring of the

liver. Scar tissue forms because of injury or long-term disease. Scar tissue cannot do what healthy liver tissue does - make protein, help fight infections, clean the blood, help digest food and store energy.[7]

Symptoms General symptoms

include:

Abdominal pain and tenderness

Dry mouth and increased thirst

Loss of appetite (food).

Swelling or fluid buildup in the legs and in the abdomen when cirrhosis is present

Weight loss[6]

It is Important that we should not be consuming to much alcohol to our bodies.

But just with one drink, you are already damaging your liver. Even if you don’t feel it, or that it looks fine. But in the inside is where it’s being damage, little by little by the alcohol beverage.

Summary Furthermore, alcohol

beverages contain what’s called ethanol. Problems that alcohol beverages bring is alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis), heart disease, and cancer. The liver is the most important organ in the body. In the liver, it makes proteins. Proteins are molecules consisting of amino acids. So stay safe and be careful on how much you consume alcohol.

References [1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage#Effects_of_alcohol_on_health

[2] http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?query=liver&v%3Aproject=nlm-main-website

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein; http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/565proteins.html

[4]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_liver_disease

[5] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000281.htm

[6] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000281.htm

[7] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cirrhosis.html