Free Radicals and Other Reactive Species in Disease

Barry Halliwell, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Published online: May 2005

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0003913

Free radicals can be generated in a wide variety of chemical and biological systems, including the formation of plastics, the ageing of paints, the combustion of fuels and in the human body. In living organisms, the levels of free radicals and other ‘reactive species’ are controlled by a complex web of antioxidant defences, which minimize (but do not completely prevent) oxidative damage to biomolecules.

Keywords: free radical; antioxidant; superoxide; lipid peroxidation; oxidative stress; mutation

Figure 1. Some of the reasons why tissue injury leads to oxidative stress.
Figure 2. Free radicals: cause, consequence, or no consequence.
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 References
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Related Sub-Topics:

Basic Cell Biology, Protein, RNA and DNA | Cell Death and Cellular Senescence | DNA Damage and Repair | Mechanisms of Cell Death, Senescence and Metabolism | Biomolecular Interactions | Other Biomolecules: Structure, Function, Metabolism
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Article Title: Free Radicals and Other Reactive Species in Disease
 
How to Cite close
Halliwell, Barry(May 2005) Free Radicals and Other Reactive Species in Disease. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0003913]