Essay about Alcohol’s Effects on the Brain - 972 Words

Alcohol seems to be a common topic for teenagers in today’s society. Mainly alcohol is consumed by adolescents that are bored or trying to fit into a crowd by attempting to look ‘cool’. Students are aware of the effects but why is nothing being done? There are many consequences that come along with drinking; alcohol negatively affects not only the body, but the brain. Alcohol is officially defined as ‘a colorless volatile flammable liquid, C2H5OH, synthesizes or obtained by fermentation of sugars and starches and widely used as a solvent and in drugs’ according to thefreedictionary.com, but it is much more than that. The human brain does not stop growing until the person is in their late 20’s. Because the brain is still developing rapidly†¦show more content†¦Now, obviously these two groups have a big gap in between them, but both types of drinkers are still affected by alcohol consumption. Neuroimaging has helped scientists study the structure and functions of the brain (Squeglia 1). Blobs of gray matter in the brain and connections for communication between the lobes, and white matter connect the gray matter. Sometimes, when alcohol is in the brain, white matter quality cannot reach the full density resulting in an abnormality. Reduction of gray matter also occurs and the unwanted connections are demolished between t he prefrontal and temporal lobes because of alcohol usage (Paturel 1). The blood flow of the brain is below average and can cause significant damage to tissues in the brain. The flow of the blood cannot efficiently reach the brain and brain functions are altered. Light and heavy drinkers suffer from poor spatial working memory. Alcohol can also affect the verbal part of the brain and there can be poor verbal learning and processing (Mattson 2). A study compared adolescents that drink with adolescents that do not drink and found that the adolescents that drank remembered 10% less information than the kids that did not drink. These findings have been consistent over the years (Squeglia 3). Over a time span of drinking, significant changes are happening in the brain but cannot be seen. The hippocampus is one of the most vulnerable parts of theShow MoreRelatedAlcohol is the Cause of too many Deaths638 Words   |  3 Pagesbody, dissolving in every tissue. The effects of alcohol are fe lt by a person once it is absorbed in the tissues (Walker 56-57). Alcohol affects the connections in our brain and can cause long-lasting damage. Neurotransmitters carry messages between neurons to the brain, which controls your bodys responses, feelings, and mood. Alcohol slows down the pace of neurotransmitters to the brain, causing one to feel drowsy (â€Å"Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohols Impact Your Health† 4-6). Alcohol-relatedRead Moreazael Luevano806 Words   |  3 Pagesalcohol from getting stronger. 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