The consumption, production and sale of alcohol have been an integral part of many societies throughout human existence. The exact origin of alcohol is still unknown, but it is generally considered that early farmers noticed the rich aroma and flavor of fermenting fruits (Narconon Alcohol Rehab, 2010) and thus recreated the substance in consumable quantities. The first known record of organized alcohol manufacturing dates back around ten thousand years, where the drink was produced from fermented honey, also known as mead. Shortly after alcohol became a major part of many cultures, documents dating from around 6000 BC were discovered describing the cultivation of grape vines for fermentation (Narconon Alcohol Rehab, 2010). During 3000 BC, Egypt began shipping wine across the Mediterranean (Narconon Alcohol Rehab, 2010). By 1500 BC, the Romans had adopted wine into their mythological beliefs with the arrival of a new god; Bacchus. Today, alcohol remains an integral part of society, whether economically, religiously or culturally; however, the product is not without consequences. Alcohol is chemically any organic molecule with an OH functional group, however for the purposes of this essay the term alcohol will refer to ethanol, the type of alcohol used in regular drinking. Ethanol is a byproduct of yeast (a type of microorganism). Yeasts consume glucose, sugars from fruits or crops like barley, they then excrete carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethanol (C2H5OH or C2H6O) (How is alcohol made?, nd) . Yeasts achieve this thanks to the presence of the enzyme zymase in their digestive system. The enzyme speeds up the otherwise time-consuming process of breaking down glucose into carbon dioxide and ethanol, fermentation. This can be represented by the chemical formula: C_...... middle of paper ......rch 2, 2014, from IAS: http://www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf /Factsheets /Economic%20impacts%20of%20alcohol%20factsheet%20August%202013.pdf Irrigation salinity. (October 29, 2012). Accessed February 27, 2014 from Victorian Resources Online: http://vro.depi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/lwm_salinity_management_irrigationKathleen M. Zelman, MR (2013). Blood Pressure and Alcohol: Should You Do It or Not? Retrieved March 1, 2014, from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/alcohol-debateNarconon alcohol rehab. (2010). History of alcohol. Retrieved February 25, 2014 from Narconon International: http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/alcohol-history.html Zhang, D. (2005). What is liver fibrosis and how is it different from cirrhosis? Retrieved March 2, 2014 from SinoMed: http://www.sinomedresearch.org/hcv/articles/c7_fibrosis.htm