What is alcoholism ? Explain ill-effects of alcohol on different parts of body.

Explanation

Addiction or excessive consumption of alcohol is called alcoholism. Its effects on liver are as follows
Liver size increases. Alcoholism causes three types of liver diseases. (i) Alcoholic Fatty Liver. Alcohol reduces gluconeogenesis (formation of glucose from glycogen), decreases fatty acid oxidation and increases fat accumulation in liver cells. The latter enlarge. Production of enzymes and proteins is affected. As a result liver become enlarged, yellow and greasy. It is known as fatty liver syndrome.
(ii) Alcoholic Hepatitis. Liver cells enlarge out of proportion and degenerate. They get surrounded by lymphocytes and leucocytes. The damaged cells come to have hyaline bodies (Mallary bodies). Bile formation is disturbed resulting in jaundice. Jaundice is accompanied by abdominal distress, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
(iii) Alcoholic Cirrhosis. With increased degeneration of liver cells, fibroblasts develop that secrete collagen. Connective tissue network develops around small masses of functional cells to protect and regenerate the same. However, destruction of liver cells and collagen formation exceed regeneration. Liver, therefore, shrinks in size and becomes hard.