Why does alcohol make you drunk?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Ethanol disrupts neurotransmitters
Blocks oxygen to the brain — Wrong. Alcohol doesn't block oxygen. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and chemically interferes with neurotransmitter signaling.
Increases blood sugar levels — Wrong. Alcohol actually lowers blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Intoxication comes from ethanol affecting GABA and glutamate receptors in the brain.
Ethanol disrupts neurotransmitters ✓ — Correct! Ethanol (drinking alcohol) enhances GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter), making you relaxed/sleepy, and blocks glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter), impairing cognition. This disrupts normal brain signaling—slowing reactions, impairing judgment, affecting coordination. The liver breaks down alcohol ~1 drink/hour. Intoxication is chemical interference with brain function!