As defined in chemistry terms, alcohol is any organic compound in high a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. Reactions of alcohol, and alcohol itself, are one of the most important functional groups in organic chemistry and the applications are especially relevant to synthesis problems. In simpler terms, alcohol is in reference to ethanol which is commonly found in alcoholic drinks. Ethanol is a very volatile liquid that is colorless and has a mild odor that is attained through the fermentation of sugars. Alcohol is used through out the world as a depressant, and has been around for thousands of years.

Some basic types of reactions to alcohol are as follows; dehydration to alkene, Tosylation, Esterfication, reduction to alkane, Oxidation to aldehyde, ketone and substitution to form alkyl halide. Alcohol has the same behavioral characteristics as a weak acid when undergoing deprotonation. This process is the raction of alcohol to produce an alkoxide salt. It is carried out by a strong base such as sodium hydride or a sodium potassium metal. It must be stated that the bases that are used to deprotonate alcohols are very strong. These bases are both highly moisture sensitive as well as they are chemical reagents.

Also affected in the acidity of alcohols is the stability or strength of the alkoixide ion. When electron withdrawing groups, that are attached to the carbon containing the hydroxyl group, this will cause to stabilize the alkoxide that is created, resulting in a greater acidity. The outcome that the presence of electron donating group will have is in making a less stable alkooxide ion. The unstable alkoxide ion created will accept a protron to regain the original alcohol.

It is known that all humans will have at least a trace amount of alcohol in their system at all times, even if no alcohol is consumed. This is because of the process called endogenous ethanol production. a large amount of the bacteria in the intestines must use alcohol fermentation as a from of respiration. You won’t feel the affects of having a drink, but rather this metabolic process makes the alcohol as a waste product, much in the same way that metabolism ends up in the formation of water and carbon dioxide. So it is absolutely essential that every human body contains some alcohol in its system. The fermentation process is caused by using sugars produced from the hydrolysis of starch, in the company of yeast, and a temperature that is less then 37 degrees Celcius, resulting in the production of ethanol.

There are many reasons and different forms of alcohol such as; the alcohol that is found in all alcoholic drinks, for a multitude of scientific and medical procedures as well as the reactions of alcohol in forming fuels that we use everyday. One of the more common reactions of alcohol is made in the production of anti-freeze. This is where a fifty percent v/v solution of ethanol glycol in water produces the everyday anti-freeze.