Metabolization.
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Alcohol is removed from the bloodstream through a process called metabolism. This primarily occurs in the liver, where enzymes break down the alcohol into acetaldehyde and then into acetic acid, which is further metabolized into carbon dioxide and water for elimination from the body.
The respiratory system is responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. This process occurs in the lungs, where oxygen is taken in through inhalation and carbon dioxide is removed through exhalation. The oxygen is then transferred to the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream and exhaled out of the body.
When a person smells of alcohol, it is usually due to the presence of ethanol in their bloodstream. Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, and it can be detected on a person's breath as it is exhaled through the lungs. Alcohol can also be excreted through sweat, contributing to the odor.
The waste form of nitrogen formed in the liver and carried in the bloodstream is urea. Urea is produced in the liver through the breakdown of proteins and is removed from the body through the kidneys in urine.
This process is called gas exchange. In the lungs, oxygen enters the bloodstream through diffusion across the alveolar membrane, where it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells for transportation to tissues.
Alcohol is mostly metabolized by the liver into acetaldehyde and then into acetate, which is eventually eliminated from the body as carbon dioxide and water. The process primarily involves liver enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome P450. Some alcohol can also be excreted unchanged through breath, sweat, urine, and saliva.