Tuesday, July 24, 2007

ALCOHOL'S TRIP THROUGH THE BODY


ALCOHOL'S TRIP THROUGH THE BODY
The dotted lines show how alcohol passes through the body. By reading what is written next to each number, you can find out exactly where it goes, how it gets there, and what happens when it gets there.
1 MOUTH: Alcohol is consumed.
2 STOMACH: Alcohol gets right into the stomach. A little of it goes through the wall of the stomach and into the bloodstream but most of the alcohol goes down into the small intestine.
3 SMALL INTESTINE: Alcohol goes from the stomach into the small intestine. Most of the alcohol then goes through the walls of the intestine and into the bloodstream.
6 BRAIN: Alcohol goes to the brain almost as soon as it is drunk. The bloodstream carries it there. Alcohol keeps passing through the brain until the liver has had time to oxidize all the alcohol.
5 LIVER: As the bloodstream carries the alcohol around the body, it carries it through the liver, too. The liver changes the alcohol into water, carbon dioxide, and energy. The process is called oxidation. The liver can oxidize (change) only about one-half ounce of alcohol an hour, or .015%. This means that until the liver has time to oxidize all of the alcohol, the alcohol keeps on passing through all parts of the body, including the brain.
4 BLOODSTREAM: The bloodstream then carries the alcohol to all parts of the body, such as the brain, heart and liver.

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