Although this research project concerns the metabolism of ethanol, one of the three major forms of alcohol, the major topic will discuss three distinct, yet similar issues concerning the metabolism of ethanol. The first issue is the means by which the liver metabolizes ethanol; the second and third issues discuss the variances involved when comparing how ethanol found in beer is metabolized with the ethanol found in one of the more popular cough suppressants. For simplicity and clarity, the cough syrup being used in this study is Nyquil«, as it is not only one of the leading types of over-the-counter cough suppressants, but it also has interesting qualities. By the end of the research it will be made clear that because of the ingredients found in Nyquil«, a number of important issues must be taken into consideration when attempting to compare the metabolism of products. This is true for ethanol as well as for other forms of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Ethanol is a compound that is made from a number of different elements, such as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is usually found in the blood stream in high quantities as opposed to other ingestable items because of the compounds structure and how the body can deal with such a compound (BNF Information: Alcohol, 2004). Ethanol is typically produced during a process called fermentation. During this process, yeasts act as a catalyst by using the sugar to form ethanol and carbon dioxide, the two by-products of the entire process (Ibdadan Biomedical Group, 2002). Therefore, in the process of fermenting sugar, yeast is used to produce the ethanol and the end result of this process yields glucose, ethanol, carbon dioxide and a considerable amount of energy.
Because this research paper is designed to compare two products that contain similar and different ingredients, it is necessary to also understand how one develops the measurements, both before and after the metabolism of t...