BIO 1033 [Chapter 5]

Alcohol is metabolized at a rate of approximately ______ reduction in blood alcohol concentration per hour.

0.015%

Every state defines the legal limit for driving while intoxicated (whether or not the driver can function) as a blood alcohol concentration of what?

0.08%

In the United States, approximately what percentage (%) of hospital admissions are due to medical complications related alcohol use?

25-30%

For a man who weighs 175 pounds and has consumed three standard alcoholic drinks (raises BAC about 0.05% each) in one hour, how long will it take to reach a blood alcohol concentration close to 0.0?

5 hours | (5 x 0.015 = 0.075)

Binge drinking is defined as what for men and women?

5+ drinks for men in one sitting and 4+ drinks for women in one sitting

For a woman who weighs 125 pounds and has consumed three standard alcoholic drinks (raises BAC about 0.05% each) in one hour, how long will it take to reach a blood alcohol concentration close to 0.0?

8 hours | (8 x 0.015 = 0.120)

A key enzyme involved in the metabolism of alcohol is ________ and is located in the ________ and the ________.

Alcohol dehydrogenase; stomach; liver

When a person who has been drinking can only partially recall the events that occurred after they began drinking, this is known as what?

Brownout

Easy access to alcohol, a permissive societal view of drinking, unsafe living conditions, poor nutrition, and limited access to healthcare and drug recovery programs are examples of what factors associated with increased alcohol use?

Environmental factors

[T/F] Drinking experience, not heredity, affects a person's ability to tolerate a given amount of alcohol.

False

[T/F] Prolonged heavy drinking increases sexual functioning, desire, and the intensity of orgasm.

False

[T/F] The alcoholic content of most U.S. wines is generally lower than European wines.

False

[T/F] The amount of pure alcohol (ethanol) consumed per capita is higher in the United States than in European countries, where the drinking age is 18 or younger.

False

The national minimum legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Since 1993 the rate of underage binge drinking in the United States has changed by what percent (%)?

Increased 50%

What things can lead to cirrhosis?

The toxic effects of alcohol, free radicals, and acetaldehyde

[T/F] A person's reaction to alcohol and level of impairment depends on that person's drinking history, behavioral tolerance, and mood.

True

[T/F] Alcohol interacts with more types of receptors, neurotransmitters, and genes than do marijuana and cocaine.

True

[T/F] Alcoholic hepatitis is a disease that affects the liver and is caused by prolonged heavy drinking.

True

[T/F] Although alcohol is absorbed at different rates, metabolism occurs at a relatively defined continuous rate.

True

[T/F] Blackouts are caused by an alcohol-induced electrochemical disruption of the brain.

True

[T/F] Major alcohol withdrawal symptoms can develop within as short time as 7 consecutive weeks of heavy drinking.

True

[T/F] One of the most long-lasting effects of alcohol abuse is an inability to experience normal sexual relationships.

True

[T/F] Susceptibility to blackouts and brownouts is also a marker for susceptibility to alcoholism.

True

[T/F] The effects of alcohol depend on the amount (dose) ingested over a given period of time (duration).

True

[T/F] The variation in people's reactions to alcohol is due in part to hereditary factors that affect how efficiently the body metabolizes alcohol.

True

[T/F] When other depressants are used, the danger of overdose is greatly increased because metabolism of alcohol takes precedence over metabolism of other substances.

True

Worldwide, approximately what percentage (%) of all diseases and injuries are a direct result of alcohol abuse?

10%

The life span of a chronic high-dose drinker is _______.

9 to 22 years shorter than that of the general population.

How many standard alcoholic drinks would a 125-pound woman need to consume in one hour to reach the minimum blood alcohol concentration for driving while intoxicated?

About 2 drinks

High-dose alcohol affects the central nervous system by ________ its function. At higher blood alcohol levels, this leads to ________ heart rate and breathing.

Decreasing; decreased

The effects of alcohol ________ negative emotions such as loneliness, depression, and anger.

Deepen

What is one action that slows down absorption rates of alcohol?

Diluting an alcoholic drink with water or ice, or alternating every other drink with water or soda

What is one action that speeds up absorption rates of alcohol?

Drinking on an empty stomach

Alcoholics are likely to experience which kind of problems with their memory?

Retrospective (past events) memory and prospective (day to day) memory

[T/F] The effects of long-term alcohol abuse on physical health, neurochemistry, and cellular function are fewer and less harsh than for most other psychoactive drugs.

False

[T/F] Women have a higher percentage of body water than do men of comparable size, so there is more water to dilute the alcohol they drink.

False

[T/F] The name of the first enzyme involved in the metabolism of alcohol is the alcohol dehydration enzyme.

False; the correct answer is alcohol dehydrogenase

[T/F] Alcohol abuse is defined as a compulsion to drink alcohol and an inability to stop drinking once you start.

False; these are characteristics of alcohol addiction, not abuse

On average, the body can metabolize and eliminate 1 ounce of pure alcohol (the equivalent of about 1.5 standard drinks) in what time frame?

Three hours