TIPS Alcohol Physiology & Blood Alcohol Content 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person with a BAC of 0.08% is legally impaired in most U.S. states. What does this percentage specifically measure?
- Grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood (Correct answer)
- Milligrams of alcohol per liter of urine
- Ounces of alcohol per pound of body weight
- Proof of alcohol per deciliter of blood
Correct answer: Grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood
BAC is expressed as grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters (or per deciliter) of blood.
Question 2: Which enzyme is primarily responsible for metabolizing alcohol in the liver?
- Amylase
- Alcohol dehydrogenase (Correct answer)
- Lipase
- Pepsin
Correct answer: Alcohol dehydrogenase
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is the primary enzyme in the liver that breaks down ethanol into acetaldehyde.
Question 3: A person's BAC continues to rise even after they stop drinking because:
- The kidneys begin releasing stored alcohol
- Alcohol already consumed continues to be absorbed from the digestive tract (Correct answer)
- The liver produces more alcohol during metabolism
- Blood circulation slows and concentrates alcohol
Correct answer: Alcohol already consumed continues to be absorbed from the digestive tract
Alcohol in the stomach and small intestine continues to absorb into the bloodstream after drinking stops, causing BAC to keep rising.
Question 4: Compared to drinking on an empty stomach, eating a high-fat meal before drinking will:
- Increase the peak BAC reached
- Have no effect on alcohol absorption
- Slow alcohol absorption and reduce peak BAC (Correct answer)
- Cause alcohol to be absorbed through the stomach wall only
Correct answer: Slow alcohol absorption and reduce peak BAC
Food, especially fat and protein, slows gastric emptying and delays alcohol absorption, resulting in a lower and later peak BAC.
Question 5: Which statement best describes how alcohol affects the central nervous system?
- It stimulates the CNS at all doses
- It acts as a CNS depressant, slowing brain activity (Correct answer)
- It stimulates at low doses and has no effect at high doses
- It exclusively affects the peripheral nervous system
Correct answer: It acts as a CNS depressant, slowing brain activity
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that inhibits neuronal activity and slows overall brain function.
Question 6: A female patron and a male patron of identical body weight consume the same amount of alcohol. In general, the female will have:
- The same BAC because body weight is equal
- A lower BAC due to higher metabolic rate
- A higher BAC due to lower body water percentage and less gastric ADH (Correct answer)
- A lower BAC due to hormonal differences that speed absorption
Correct answer: A higher BAC due to lower body water percentage and less gastric ADH
Women typically have a lower proportion of body water and less gastric alcohol dehydrogenase, resulting in higher BAC than men of equal weight.
Question 7: Acetaldehyde, the primary byproduct of alcohol metabolism, is responsible for:
- The euphoric feeling from alcohol
- Increased coordination
- Many toxic and hangover-related effects (Correct answer)
- Slowing the breakdown of alcohol
Correct answer: Many toxic and hangover-related effects
Acetaldehyde is a toxic intermediate that contributes to liver damage, flushing, nausea, and many hangover symptoms.
TIPS Alcohol Physiology & Blood Alcohol Content 4
A person with a BAC of 0.08% is legally impaired in most U.S. states.
What does this percentage specifically measure?