Alcohol is a colorless, volatile, flammable fluid made from
certain plants (corn, barley, rye, grains) or fruits It is made
by mixing these plants or fruits with yeast. The yeast feeds on
the various sugars (starches) in these plants or fruits. The
sugars are then converted into alcohol (and carbon dioxide). The
process of alcohol production is called fermentation. The
alcohol people drink is called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. The
chemical formula for ethyl alcohol is C2H5OH. Alcohol is quickly
absorbed into the bloodstream after it has been swallowed. It
then gets metabolised (broken down) in the liver. The problem is
that the liver is unable to quickly metabolise large amounts of
alcohol; it breaks down only a little alcohol at a time. So the
excess alcohol continues to accumulate in the bloodstream. The
level of alcohol in the blood may be affected by gender (male or
female), age, physical health, the amount of food recently
eaten, and whether the person has taken certain medications or
drugs. Thats why alco