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Alcohol and other carcinogens - Coggle Diagram
Alcohol and other carcinogens
Alcohol and health
Alcohol (ethanol) is used as a social drug and is very addictive
It is poisonous but normally the liver can remove it before permanent damage is done
the ethanol is absorbed into the blood from the blood and passes easily into the body tissues like the brain
Larger amounts lead to lack of self control and lack of judgement and in too high amounts it can lead to unconsciousness, coma and sometimes death.
It affects the nervous system making thought processes, reflexes and reactions slower but small amounts make you feel relaxes, cheerful and reduces inhibitions
Brain and liver damage
It is a carcinogen therefore heavy drinkers are at a higher risk of developing liver cancer which is difficult to treat
Long term alcohol use causes brain damage. They may become pulpy and soft which is different to normal structures.
May develop cirrhosis of the liver, a disease that destroys the liver tissue which is replaced with scar tissue which cannot carry out vital functions.
Damage usually develops over years.
Addiction to alcohol leads to long term liver and brain damage and eventually death.
Alcohol and pregnancy
If a pregnant woman drinks the alcohol passes across the placenta into the foetus which can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature births and low birthweight. The liver and brain cannot cope with the alcohol and will become damaged.
The baby may have deformities, problems with its teeth, jaw or hearing, kidney, liver and heart problems, also other development problems. This is called Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Doctors advise against it because they don't know how much alcohol is safe during pregnancy
Ionising radiation
Radiactive materials in the soil, water and air including radon gas in granite
Medical and dental X rays
UV light from the sun increases risk of skin cancers such as melanoma
Accidents in nuclear power plants can spread over wide areas.
Electromagnetic wave is a well known carcinogen. Radioactive materials is a form of ionising radiation. The radiation enters cells and mutates the DNA i.e. damaging the chromosomes.