Name
Forensic Science
Period _______ Date ______________
Chapter 9 - PHYSIOLOGY OF ALCOHOL AND POISONS
Directions: Fill in the information from the Classroom Chart or the Online Chart.
Forensic Science Standard and element:
SFS3. Students will analyze the use of toxicology, serology, and DNA technology in forensic investigations. a) Classify toxins and their effects on the body. b) Compare the effects of alcohol on blood alcohol levels with regard to gender, and according to the law. c) Evaluate forensic techniques used to isolate toxins in the body.
1.) Put chart in Science Notebook behind the Chapter 9 Word Study
2.) after it has been checked.
All parts were accurate and complete with no abbreviations.
3.) Handwriting was neat.
4.) Information was dark enough to be easily read, and chart was neat.
(Part of Notebook Grade)
HISTORY OF TOXICOLOGY
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The first use of chemistry to detect poisons was in the early 1700s. Hermann Boerhaave, a
Dutch chemist, discovered that arsenic had a distinct odor when heated. However, his method was not effective in detecting arsenic in a human body. Many other scientists developed processes for detecting poisons in the victim’s body. Each scientist expanded on the research of previous scientists.
The first use of toxicology in a legal case was the Lafarge murder trial in France in 1840.
Charles Lafarge became ill and died. His wife Marie was accused of killing him with rat poison. A few years earlier, an English chemist, James Marsh, had developed a test to detect arsenic, the major ingredient in rat poison. Using the Marsh test, investigators found traces of arsenic in food at the Lafarge home, but were not able to detect the poison in Lafarge’s body. The leading authority in medical toxicology at that time, Mathieu Orfila, was called in to retest Lafarge’s exhumed body. Orfila found traces of arsenic in Lafarge’s body. The soil surrounding the body was also tested and no traces of arsenic were found, disproving claims by the defense that poison had been absorbed into the body after burial. Marie Lafarge was convicted of murder.
ALCOHOL
 some alcohols used in industry as solvents and can be found in antifreeze, perfumes, fuels, hairsprays, and medications
 in sufficient quantities, all alcohols are toxic, or poisonous, to humans
 methanol is so toxic just 30 mL may cause death
 when ingested, propanol, or rubbing alcohol causes decreased heart rate, dizziness, and internal hemorrhage
 ethanol, the alcohol in alcoholic beverages, can be fatal if consumed in large amounts
 alcohol is a depressant or a chemical that slows down the heart rate and brain activity and causes drowsiness
 absorption begins in the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach and small intestine
 the liver metabolizes, breaks down, alcohol and can normally break down about 15 to
30 mL of alcohol in an hour
 about 90% of the alcohol is converted to carbon dioxide and water; the remaining 10% is excreted in breathing, perspiration, and urine
 if too much alcohol is consumed, the excess is distributed to the tissues of the body

0.02-0.03
0.05-0.06
0.07-0.09
0.10-0.12
0.13-0.15
0.16-0.20
0.21-0.30
Few obvious effects; slight intensification of mood
Feeling of warmth, relaxation, mild sedation; exaggeration of emotion and behavior; slight decrease in reaction time and in fine-muscle coordination; impaired judgment about continued drinking
More noticeable speech impairment and disturbance of balance; impaired motor coordination, hearing, and vision; feeling of elation or depression; increased confidence; may not recognize impairment
Coordination and balance becoming difficult; distinct impairment of mental faculties and judgment
Major impairment of physical and mental control; slurred speech, blurred vision, and lack of motor skills; needs medical evaluation
Loss of motor control; must have assistance moving about; mental confusion; needs medical assistance
Severe intoxication; minimum conscious control of mind and body; needs hospitalization
Unconsciousness; coma; needs hospitalization 0.40
FACTORS AFFECTING ALCOHOL ABSORPTION INTO THE BODY
 body weight
 how much alcohol is consumed
 over what time period
 amount of food in stomach
 frequency of drinking alcohol
 amount of food in the stomach
 body fat percentage
 medications and popular energy drinks
 carbonation speeds up the absorption of alcohol
WOMEN AND ALCOHOL
 Women are much more vulnerable than men to adverse consequences of alcohol use.
 Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men; in general women have less body water than men of similar body weight, so that women achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol.
 Women have smaller quantities of the enzyme dehydrogenase that breaks down alcohol in the stomach. A Woman will absorb about 30% more alcohol into her bloodstream than a man of the same weight who has consumed an equal amount.