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Ethanol Leaves the Lungs in the Air
As you breathe in, oxygen from the atmosphere enters the lungs and moves into the circulation through the capillary walls that surround the alveoli of the lung. When you exhale, both carbon dioxide and ethanol in the breath are removed from the blood (of course, not all of it!). Let’s look at this more closely. […]
Ethanol Vaporizes to a Gas in the Lungs
In the lungs, ethanol moves by passive diffusion from the capillaries into the surrounding air sacs called alveoli. Unlike the process of active transport, passive diffusion requires no additional energy to move molecules. The energy comes from the difference in the concentration of ethanol between the two compartments: blood and lung alveoli (substances move from areas of […]
How Does Ethanol Get to the Lungs?
Ethanol must first enter the bloodstream Ethanol is a water soluble compound—it dissolves readily in water-based solutions and once it is swallowed, it moves into water spaces throughout the body, including the bloodstream. Here is a brief review of what happens: Molecules of ethanol travel across the membranes made of epithelial cells that line the […]
Module 4: Alcohol and the Breathalyzer Test
Description of the module Once alcohol reaches the bloodstream, it equilibrates with different body tissues, including the lungs. Alcohol is a volatile molecule that can be eliminated from the body in exhaled air. Students will learn how alcohol equilibrates with lung air spaces, and how to estimate how much alcohol is in the blood based […]
Alcohol-induced Vomiting can be Fatal
Alcohol is irritating to the stomach. There are nerve endings in the stomach that send a signal to the brain that something harmful is present. Also, an area of the brainstem senses the amount of alcohol in the blood, and if it’s high, the brain responds by sending a neural signal back down to the […]
Getting Alcohol to the Brain: Crossing the Blood-Brain-Barrier
For alcohol to cause intoxication, it must get into the brain. Once alcohol is consumed, it leaves the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to enter the bloodstream. This process is called “absorption”; alcohol is easily absorbed through cell membranes lining the GI tract into the blood capillaries. Once in the bloodstream, ethanol is carried to the heart, […]
Science Content
The following sections provide the background to answer the questions in the student handout. Once you’ve read through the content go to “What Did I Learn?”. How Does Ethanol Get to the Lungs? Ethanol in the Blood Equilibrates with Ethanol in the Alveolar Air Ethanol Vaporizes to a Gas in the Lungs Ethanol Leaves the […]
Biology and Chemistry Connections
Biology Connections membrane structure and transport circulatory system dynamic equilibrium blood-brain barrier capillary structure and function structure and function of the lungs Chemistry Connections solubility of organic compounds enzymes chemical bonding volatility and vaporization redox reactions dynamic equilibrium chemical reaction rates partition coefficients
The Breathalyzer Assumes a Specific Blood-to-Breath-Ratio to Calculate the BAC
In a breath test, one must calculate how much ethanol measured from the expired air sample is in the blood. To do this, one must take into account the volume of blood from which the ethanol originated. First, a few assumptions must be made: The ethanol concentration in the expired alveolar air is directly proportional […]
How Does the Breathalyzer Work?
The original version of the Breathalyzer™ included a mouthpiece and two chambers containing liquid connected to a meter that detects a change in color. To use the Breathalyzer™, the subject exhales through the mouthpiece into a test chamber filled with a reddish-orange solution of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7). Figure 4.7 An example of a newer version of […]
