Activity 2
PARTS OF THE CELL
by GEORGETTE E. ZALDIVAR
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?
The addictive substance that society seems to be most forgiving about is alcohol. It is easily transported throughout the body in the bloodstream after ingestion and crosses biological membranes, having an impact on almost all organs and biological functions. The cytosolic alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the first oxidation of the majority of alcohol that enters the body to harmful acetaldehyde, which is then transformed into acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, a process that primarily takes place in the liver (Cheng, 2011). In other words, the ingested amounts of alcohol are processed and metabolized in the liver. Through specific organelles like the peroxisome and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (smooth ER), the cells are able to detoxify the alcohol.
The consumption of alcohol, especially when done regularly and in an excessive manner, causes a variety of pathogenic stress reactions, including that of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER stress plays a role in the emergence of disorders in major organs, like the liver and pancreas, due to alcoholism (Cheng, 2011).
If we were to compare my liver to that of my friend, who is an alcoholic, there would be a noticeable difference in the size and cell structure. I, a non-alcoholic, would have organelles free from stress, and I, as a result, will remain to have regular, healthy cells. My friend’s cell structure and size, on the other hand, will observe an increase to a size much greater than mine. The influx of alcohol due to his regular and excessive drinking will, in turn, be too much for his smooth ER and peroxisomes to handle, which may lead to damage in such organelles. The unceasing alcohol consumption will eventually lead to the deterioration of his liver cells, potentially leading to terminal diseases, such as liver cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse.
REFERENCE:
Cheng, J. (2011). Mechanisms of Alcohol-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Organ Injuries. Biochemistry Research International, 1-12. 10.1155/2012/216450