The Science behind Drunkenness (Edited with additional Information)

image source

Do you drink beverages? Or if not, have you ever seen someone drinking? Are you wondering why you or they get drunk by drinking beverages? Why’d you get hangover after a heavy drink? This might help you explain why.

image source

The main culprit of getting drunk is the alcohol present in the liquors. There are many different kind of alcohol in chemistry, so, you might be wondering what kind of alcohol we are drinking. The one we are drinking the most is ethanol which is readily soluble in water that can easily dissolved in the bloodstream and get carried to the different parts in the body most notably in the brain and liver.

image source

As ethanol enters the brain it binds with the neurotransmitters to which is the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and glutamate. Ethanol being bind to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) slows down the activity of the brain which is why you feel calm and sleepy and when it binds with glutamate, it inactivates this neurotransmitter that normally excites neurons and makes the brain slower to respond in the stimuli, that is why you’ll have memory loss, slurred speech and other side effects of being tipsy.

image source

But alcohols are not just simply a depressant because it can stimulate the production of dopamine and endorphins which is a chemical that produces the feelings of pleasure. The mechanism behind these is not known yet, but it can may be similar to the way how ethanol stimulates the GABA receptors.

image source

Do you know why'd you keep on peeing after sometime drinking? It's because alcohol suppresses release of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), the hormone that allows your kidneys to return water to your bloodstream. Without it being released, your body releases all its water/ urine reserves which can lead to dehydration. Another part of the reason you visit the bathroom more often is because alcohol also stimulates the bladder, so you'll feel the urge to pee sooner than you would ordinarily.

image source

And how can you explain the hangover? It's because of dehydration. As you are dehydrated, your body will give off signals to your brain and shuts off some part of your memory which is why you forget things. Alcohol have this depressing effect on brain cells which is the lack of coordination, decreased response time, and dizziness.

image source

Alcohol also promotes secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. With this, the nerves will send a message to the brain that the stomach's contents are hurting the body. Therefore the brain will give off a signal that it must be expelled out of the body through vomiting.

Thank You for Stopping by! Cheers!