system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does alcohol "sting" when applied to a wound?
gpt
Alcohol sterilizes wounds by killing cells. However, alcohol does not distinguish between bacterial cells and your cells. When your cells are dying, the nervous system sends pain signals to the brain to try to tell you that your body is under attack and that you need to deal with the problem.