Home » Module 3: Alcohol, Cell Suicide, and the Adolescent Brain

Module 3: Alcohol, Cell Suicide, and the Adolescent Brain

Description of the module

Alcohol affects the adolescent brain differently from the adult brain. This is basically due to the level of maturation of the adolescent brain, which is not complete until about age 24. Adolescents typically can drink more than adults before becoming incoordinated and sedated, but at the same time they are more susceptible to memory loss and damage to the hippocampus, a brain structure involved in learning and memory. The module covers the following topics:

  1. neuron structure and function
  2. neurogenesis
  3. stem cells
  4. cell growth and division (cell cycle)
  5. protein synthesis
  6. cell death (apoptosis)
  7. enzymes as catalysts
  8. atomic structure