The influence of alcohol depends on temperature
2006/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
Alcohol tolerance is related to temperature: when it is hot, the effect of alcohol increases. Why? The researchers have tried to answer this question.
The researchers have carried out experiments with fruit flies. As for human beings, alcohol (ethanol) is toxic to fruit flies. Ethanol softens the membranes of the cells, which influences the functions of the cells. But, in addition to ethanols, the temperature also influences the flaccidity of cell membranes: as the temperature decreases, the membranes harden. To prevent them from becoming too rigid, the cell increases the production of fatty acids.
The problem is that proteins that regulate fatty acids are related to the process of ethanol deoxygenation. Knowing this, the researchers thought that proteins that are activated at low temperatures could help to clean ethanol, so the effect of alcohol is lower when it is cold than when it is hot.
They have carried out experiments with fruit flies that grow in a cold and hot place, and it seems that yes, the hypothesis is correct. The research has been conducted at the Brown University of the United States and the results have been published in the scientific journal Journal of Experimental Biology.
