A 40-year old man, at a prominent legal firm experiences abdominal pain post lunch. He takes several trips to the restroom, but continues to experience pain and cramps. He decides to go to the doctor and admits he consumed 2 bottles of beer @ lunch. The alcohol content (alcohol/ethenol) in a 12 oz. bottle of beer is about 5%. The man's weight is 150 pounds and he was drinking over an hour period. Please show me how to calculate % of alcohol in his body, the chemical reaction that took place and identify the substance produced in the liver to help catalyze this reaction. Thankyou

To calculate the percentage of alcohol in the man's body, we need to consider factors such as the volume of alcohol consumed, the alcoholic content, and the man's weight. Here's how you can calculate it:

1. Calculate the total amount of alcohol consumed:
Quantity of alcohol consumed = Number of bottles x Volume of each bottle
Quantity of alcohol consumed = 2 bottles x 12 oz. (assuming each bottle is 12 oz.)
Quantity of alcohol consumed = 24 oz.

2. Calculate the amount of pure alcohol consumed:
Pure alcohol consumed = Quantity of alcohol consumed x Alcohol content (%)
Pure alcohol consumed = 24 oz. x 0.05
Pure alcohol consumed = 1.2 oz.

3. Calculate the blood alcohol concentration (BAC):
BAC is defined as the ratio of alcohol to total blood volume. We'll approximate the total blood volume as 80% of body weight.
BAC = (Pure alcohol consumed in ounces / Body weight in pounds) x 100
BAC = (1.2 oz. / 150 lbs.) x 100
BAC = 0.008

Therefore, the man's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.008, which means his bloodstream contains 0.008% alcohol.

In terms of the chemical reaction that takes place when alcohol is metabolized in the body, there are multiple steps involved. The primary enzyme responsible for alcohol metabolism is alcohol dehydrogenase, present mainly in the liver. Alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of alcohol to acetaldehyde. The reaction is as follows:

Alcohol + NAD+ → Acetaldehyde + NADH + H+

The substance produced in the liver to help catalyze this reaction is the coenzyme NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ assists in the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde by accepting electrons during the oxidation process.

It's important to note that this explanation provides a general overview of the topic and does not take into account factors that may affect alcohol metabolism on an individual basis, such as tolerance, metabolism rate, and other variables.