Why does alcohol break down cell membranes

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Effect of alcohol on cellular membranes
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Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Why does alcohol destroy cell membranes?
Does alcohol break down cell membrane?
How does alcohol affect the phospholipid bilayer?
Does alcohol break down the cell wall?

Effect of alcohol on cellular membranes

D B Goldstein. Ann Emerg Med. 1986 Sep.

Abstract

Ethanol disrupts the physical structure of cell membranes. The most fluid membranes, including those that are low in cholesterol, are the most easily disordered by ethanol. Although the membrane-disordering effect is small, there is pharmacological, temporal, and genetic evidence that it is important. Animals that are resistant to ethanol intoxication because of their genetic background or because of previous exposure to ethanol are found to have brain membranes that are not easily disordered in vitro. An exception is the increased behavioral sensitivity in aging animals, which is not matched by changes in their membranes. When animals are treated chronically with ethanol, their membranes become stiffer, a response that can be regarded as adaptive. Ethanol may favor the uptake of cholesterol or saturated fatty acids into membranes, thus reducing its own effect.

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Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Why does alcohol destroy cell membranes?

Solvents such as ethanol increase membrane permeability. Lipids dissolve in alcohol, therefore, the phospholipids in a cell membrane will easily dissolve in solutions such as ethanol. As a result, the cell membrane becomes more fluid and permeable as it starts to break down.

Does alcohol break down cell membrane?

Ethanol disrupts the physical structure of cell membranes. The most fluid membranes, including those that are low in cholesterol, are the most easily disordered by ethanol.

How does alcohol affect the phospholipid bilayer?

At high concentrations, alcohols reduce bilayer stability (12,21) and break down the lipid bilayer barrier properties, causing increased ion permeability (14,15).

Does alcohol break down the cell wall?

Alcohol molecules are amphiphile chemical compounds. This means that they have both water and fat-loving properties. When a bacterial cell is exposed to alcohol, the amphiphile alcohol molecules bond with and break down the peptidoglycan molecules that form the outermost part of the bacterial cell wall.