Investigation 4
What Does Alcohol Do to the Brain?
Our brain is responsible for a variety of essential functions, such as regulating breathing, feeling emotions, reacting to stimuli, remembering events, and making difficult decisions. These functions are localized to various regions of the brain. Brain regions are affected differently by alcohol.
Alcohol also affects the transmission of signals in the nervous system. The adolescent nervous system is different from the adult nervous system and therefore reacts differently to alcohol. After students develop an understanding of the physiological effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, they will be able to make informed decisions regarding alcohol use.
Students will:
- Identify the major brain regions and associated functions.
- Identify the basic structure of a neuron (nerve cell) and explain how neurons communicate with each other and with the brain (neurotransmission).
- Understand the connection between varying blood alcohol contents (BAC) and alcohol’s effect on the major regions of the brain.
- Understand that the adolescent brain is undergoing significant developmental changes and therefore alcohol has a more significant effect on the developing adolescent brain than the adult brain.
- Develop questions about the effects of alcohol on the brain and utilize resources to read, interpret, and suggest answers to these questions.
