Description of the module
What is intoxication? How does alcohol intoxicate a person? There are several principles of biology and chemistry that underlie the expression of the symptoms of intoxication. The module helps students learn that 1) alcohol acts in different brain regions to produce symptoms of intoxication, 2) alcohol acts at specific targets in neurons to alter neurotransmission, and 3) there are several factors (e.g., genetics, repeated alcohol use) that can influence the degree to which one becomes intoxicated. The biology and chemistry concepts covered in this module include:
- membrane transport mechanisms
- chemical structures of alcohols
- structure of capillary membranes
- basic anatomy of the brain
- cell structure and function (neurons)
- cell:cell communication (neuronal transmission)
- genetic polymorphisms (for alcohol metabolism)
- gene expression
