and physical birth abnormalities associated with
proportion to their relative water content.
children whose mothers abused alcohol during
48
pregnancy. The symptoms are less severe than
hypertension: A condition of abnormally high
those in fetal alcohol syndrome.
blood pressure.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): A pattern of men-
hypothalamus: A small area of the brain that is
tal and physical birth abnormalities found in some
responsible for regulating the release of some hor-
children of mothers who drank excessively during
mones and maintaining body temperature.
pregnancy.
impairment: Diminished ability, such as when
fibrosis: A condition within a tissue or an organ
alcohol decreases motor function or interferes
that is characterized by an increase in fibrous
with thinking.
tissue.
inflammation: The body’s response to tissue dam-
free radicals: Short-lived, highly reactive mole-
age characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and
cules that have one or more unpaired electrons.
pain.
functional tolerance: A state in which a chronic
inhibition: As related to behavior, restraint on
alcohol abuser learns to function under the influ-
instinctive impulses.
ence of alcohol. The impairment normally associ-
insulin: A hormone produced in the pancreas that
ated with performing a familiar task is reduced,
lowers the blood sugar level. Its effect is opposite
but the ability to perform unfamiliar tasks remains
to that of glucagon.
impaired.
intoxication: The condition of being drunk. An
gastritis: An inflammation of the stomach lining.
abnormal state that is essentially alcohol poison-
gene: The functional and physical unit of heredity.
ing. It is characterized by slurred speech and a loss
Genes are segments of DNA found along a chro-
of coordination.
mosome. They typically encode information used
limbic system: The areas of the brain involved
to produce a specific protein.
with emotions and memory.
genetically predisposed: Having variations in
lymphocytes: The white blood cells, the T cells,
genes that increase the probability of displaying a
and B cells of the immune system.
given trait.
metabolism: All the chemical reactions that
genotype: The genetic makeup of an individual.
enable the body to function. Nutrients and mate-
The expression of genotype as visible traits is
rials are broken down into stored energy or into
called the phenotype.
usable compounds. The biological transformation
glucagon: A pancreatic hormone that increases
of ethanol to acetaldehyde and other products.
the concentration of blood sugar. Its effect is
mitochondria: The cellular organelles that func-
opposite to that of insulin.
tion as energy factories in the cell. Mitochondria
growth hormones: Hormones that affect growth
produce ATP (the energy currency of our bodies).
of the body, for example, by stimulating cell divi-
sion and bone growth.
motor function: The ability to use and control
muscles and movements. Alcohol and drugs inter-
hallucination: The experience of sights and
fere with the neuronal messages from our brain to
sounds that are not actually present.
muscles resulting in impaired motor function.
hippocampus: A part of the brain that is responsi-
naltrexone: A drug that has been effective in the
ble for learning and spatial relations.
recovery from alcoholism. It blocks receptors for
hormone: A chemical released into the blood-
endorphins, thereby reducing alcohol cravings.
stream that stimulates or inhibits an action in
Use of the drug in combination with psychosocial
another body tissue.
therapy improves the effectiveness of treatment.
49
Glossary
Understanding Alcohol: Investigations into Biology and Behavior neurons: One of two principal classes of cells in
psychosocial: Involving both social and psycho-
the nervous system, composed of three parts: the
logical behavior.
cell body, dendrites, and axons. Neurons receive
reinforcement: The positive effects of alcohol,
and conduct electrical impulses.
such as its euphoric and anxiety-reducing effects,
neurotransmission: The process by which neu-
that help promote continued drinking. Specific
rons transmit messages to other neurons, muscle
neurotransmitters and regions of the brain are
cells, or gland cells.
implicated in alcohol’s reinforcing effects.
neurotransmitter: A chemical substance that
relapse: To fall back or revert to an earlier state; to transmits a nerve impulse across a synapse.
regress after partial recovery. In the context of
alcohol abuse and alcoholism, relapse means to
nucleus accumbens: The part of the brain related
start drinking again after giving up alcohol.
to the limbic system that controls emotions.
reproductive hormones: Hormones that influence
pancreatitis: An acute or chronic inflammation of
development of secondary sexual traits and the
the pancreas associated with alcoholism and
marked by severe abdominal pain, nausea, and
production of or maturation of the sperm and the
fever.
egg. These include testosterone, leutinizing hor-
mone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),
pharmacokinetics: The study of the absorption,
estrogen, and progesterone.
distribution, and elimination of alcohol and other
drugs.
reward pathway: A specialized network of neu-
rons in the brain that produce and regulate pleas-
physical dependence: A condition in which the
ure associated with eating, drinking, and sex.
presence of a drug or alcohol is required to main-
These neurons use dopamine as a neurotransmit-
tain normal functioning of the central nervous
ter. Alcohol activates the reward pathway. Alcohol
system. (See withdrawal symptoms.) Physical
abusers and alcoholics use alcohol to avoid the
dependence is caused by changes in the relation-
pain (lack of pleasure) associated with with-
ships among nerve cell membranes, neurotrans-
drawal.
mitters and their receptors, and the reward
pathway.
sobriety: The condition of refraining from drink-
ing alcohol.
placenta: A membranous organ that develops dur-
ing pregnancy. It lines the uterine wall, partially
sodium-potassium pump: Proteins embedded in
envelopes the fetus, and is attached to the umbil-
the cell membrane that actively move potassium
ical cord. The placenta exchanges nutrients,
ions into the cell and, at the same time, move
wastes, and gases between maternal and fetal
sodium ions out.
blood. Substances ingested by the mother during
soluble: Capable of being dissolved in a solvent
pregnancy pass through the placenta to the fetus.
such as water or another liquid.
polygenic: A trait, such as alcoholism, whose
stimulant: A substance such as caffeine, nicotine,
expression is influenced by more than one gene.
or amphetamines that temporarily arouses or
predispose: To make susceptible, such as to cer-
accelerates physiological activity in the brain.
tain health problems or to alcohol dependency.
For example, the presence of certain gene combi-
stupor: A state of impaired consciousness accom-
nations or environmental conditions can predis-
panied by diminished responsiveness to external
pose an individual to develop alcoholism.
stimuli and surroundings.
prefrontal cortex: The part of the frontal lobe of
synapse: The tiny space between two nerve cells
the brain that relates to pleasure.
or between a nerve cell and a muscle or gland cell.
50
synaptogenesis: The time frame from about the
tuberculosis: A communicable disease caused by
sixth month of pregnancy to a child’s second
a bacterium that causes lesions of the lung, bone,
birthday when the brain experiences a growth
and other body parts. Drug and alcohol abusers
spurt and brain cells form most of their intercon-
are infected at a rate 15–200 times greater than
nections.
that of nonabusers.
testosterone: A sex hormone responsible for sec-
ventral tegmental area: Component of the reward
pathway in the brain; located near the top of the
ondary sex characteristics. Present in both males
brainstem.
and females but at lower concentrations in
females.
withdrawal symptoms: Severe alcohol cravings as
well as physical and psychological problems
tolerance: The body’s ability to adapt to chronic
caused by the withdrawal from excessive, chronic
alcohol or substance use. Higher BACs are needed
alcohol consumption. The biochemical changes
to produce intoxication in alcohol abusers and
lead to short-term memory loss, disruption of
alcoholics. Chronic alcohol use leads to increased
cognitive and motor function, reduced perceptual
levels of liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol.
abilities, and emotional and personality changes
Since they allow the liver to more efficiently break
that include acts of aggression.
down alcohol, the individual must consume a
larger dose to reach a given BAC. This increased
zero-tolerance laws: Laws that exist in all states
level of alcohol can severely damage the body’s
and the District of Columbia making it illegal for
physiological systems, despite the apparent “nor-
anyone under the age of 21 to drive a car after
malcy” displayed by the individual.
drinking any alcohol.
51
Glossary
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