GERON255 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Reactive Oxygen Species, Unpaired Electron, Hydroxyl Radical
19 Apr 2016
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What is a free radical: molecule with one or more unpaired electron which makes them highly reactive molecules, unstable, and short lived. Free radicals want to: gain or lose an electron to another molecule to stabilize themselves. Molecules at risk in cell: proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids. Free radicals can be formed during normal biochemical reactions: oxidative metabolism (mitochondria, radiation (gamma, x-rays, uv light, toxins (carcinogens in food and air, immune system (macrophages remove free particles to remove foreign particles) How do free radicals form with age: 1. O2 can accept e- at the end of the etc only one e- at a time. Common ros formed at the end of etc after addition to oxygen are: hydrogen peroxide is capable of reacting with superoxide in the cell to create the hydroxyl radical which is a very damaging free radical. Free radicals are so damaging because: 1. They attack many other biological molecules: 2.
