Final answer:
The primary pathway used in the metabolism of small amounts of alcohol is the liver. It uses the alcohol dehydrogenase system and the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) to process and eliminate ethanol.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary pathway used in the metabolism of small amounts of alcohol is the liver. The liver metabolizes up to 85% - 98% of the circulatory ethanol and uses two metabolic processes to get rid of it.
About 80 to 90% of the total hepatic ethanol uptake is processed via the alcohol dehydrogenase system. This system converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is then converted into acetate to eliminate its toxicity.
In a moderate drinker, 10 to 20% of the total liver ethanol uptake is processed via the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), mainly during periods of heavy drinking.