Which statement about alcohols path through the human body is true?

Which statement about alcohols path through the human body is true?

• A. Alcohol is digested in the stomach before absorption
• B. No digestion is needed in alcohol absorption
• C. Alcohol is only absorbed in the small intestine
• D. It is excreted unchanged through the skin

Answer: (B)

Alcohol doesn’t need digestion to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Ethanol is a small molecule that can move through the lining of the stomach and small intestine by simple diffusion, so it enters circulation without being pre-digested. Absorption begins in the stomach and continues in the small intestine, and the rate can be influenced by whether the stomach is full. After absorption, the liver handles most of the work, metabolizing ethanol to acetaldehyde and then to acetate, which clears it from the body. The idea that it is excreted unchanged through the skin isn’t accurate; only a small amount may be lost in sweat, while the primary elimination comes from metabolism and excretion via breath and urine.

Alcohol doesn’t need digestion to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Ethanol is a small molecule that can move through the lining of the stomach and small intestine by simple diffusion, so it enters circulation without being pre-digested. Absorption begins in the stomach and continues in the small intestine, and the rate can be influenced by whether the stomach is full.

After absorption, the liver handles most of the work, metabolizing ethanol to acetaldehyde and then to acetate, which clears it from the body. The idea that it is excreted unchanged through the skin isn’t accurate; only a small amount may be lost in sweat, while the primary elimination comes from metabolism and excretion via breath and urine.