You do not consume alcoholic beverages, but your friend does, and he consumes these drinks regularly and in large amounts. If we could examine your liver cells and compare with your friend, would we see a difference in smooth ER and peroxisomes?
Lipid synthesis and alcohol detoxification are both responsibilities of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and peroxisomes in the cells, especially in liver cells, or hepatocytes. Excessive alcohol consumption induces the ER stress response, which leads to the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins, which then contributes to alcoholic disorders, especially alcoholic liver disease. Herewith, it is evident that ethanol metabolism directly impairs the smooth ER structure and function in hepatocytes. Moreover, the smooth ER and peroxisomes of alcoholics, like my friend, would increase in number, as to cater the need for the detoxification of ethanol.