A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or blood alcohol level (BAL) reflects the amount of alcohol in the body. Food, type and quantity of beverage, weight, sex, and rate of elimination determine the BAC after the consumption of alcohol.
The process of oxygen transfer in the gills of a fish is a good example of the benefits of countercurrent exchange. As oxygen poor blood meets an opposed flow of oxygen rich water, the oxygen begins to diffuse out of the water and into the blood stream.
Other countercurrent exchange circuits where the incoming and outgoing fluids touch each other are used for retaining a high concentration of a dissolved substance or for retaining heat, or for allowing the external buildup of the heat or concentration at one point in the system.