Which organ is primarily involved in metabolizing alcohol?

Which organ is primarily involved in metabolizing alcohol?

• A. Kidney
• B. Liver
• C. Heart
• D. Lungs

Answer: (B)

Alcohol is handled by the liver most of all. In the liver, enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase convert ethanol to acetaldehyde, and then aldehyde dehydrogenase turns acetaldehyde into acetate. This two-step process is the body's main way of detoxifying alcohol, which explains why blood alcohol levels fall mainly as blood passes through the liver. Other organs aren’t major sites of metabolism: the kidneys filter blood, the heart pumps it, and the lungs are involved in gas exchange rather than breaking down ethanol. A small amount of metabolism can occur in the stomach, but the liver does the heavy lifting.

Alcohol is handled by the liver most of all. In the liver, enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase convert ethanol to acetaldehyde, and then aldehyde dehydrogenase turns acetaldehyde into acetate. This two-step process is the body's main way of detoxifying alcohol, which explains why blood alcohol levels fall mainly as blood passes through the liver. Other organs aren’t major sites of metabolism: the kidneys filter blood, the heart pumps it, and the lungs are involved in gas exchange rather than breaking down ethanol. A small amount of metabolism can occur in the stomach, but the liver does the heavy lifting.