Free radicals are highly reactive. They can start a chain reaction which is extremely dangerous when they react with important cellular components such as DNA. Despite all said above, what makes them so crucial?
Hi,
Free radicals are atoms with their outer shell not full and in order to make their outer shell filled they donate or accept electron from molecules making them behave as oxidant or reductant. They are unstable and have unpaired electron in their orbital.Free radicals reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are generated by our body by various endogenous systems i.e they are bye-product of some processes,and exposure to physiochemical and pathological states.However, there must be a balance between free radicals and antioxidant which is necessary for proper physiological funcions. If these free radicals overwhelms the body's ability to regulate them,this condition is known as oxidative stress.Thus free radicals adversely alters lipids,proteins and DNA and triggers a numbers of human diseases.
Free radicals and other ROS are derived either from normal essential metabolic processes in the human body .Enzymatic and non enzymatic reactions. Enzymatic reactions, which serve as source of free radicals, include those involved in the respiratory chain, in phagocytosis, in prostaglandin synthesis, and in the cytochrome P-450 system.Free radicals can also be formed in nonenzymatic reactions of oxygen with organic compounds as well as those initiated by ionizing reactions.
Some internally generated sources of free radicals are
Mitochondria, Peroxisomes, Inflammation, Phagocytosis , Arachidonate pathway etc
I hope this will help you.
I wish you all the best!
In recent years, there has been a great deal of attention toward the field of free radical chemistry. Free radicals reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are generated by our body by various endogenous systems, exposure to different physiochemical conditions or pathological states. A balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary for proper physiological function. If free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress ensues. Free radicals thus adversely alter lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger a number of human diseases. Hence application of external source of antioxidants can assist in coping this oxidative stress. Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole have recently been reported to be dangerous for human health. Thus, the search for effective, nontoxic natural compounds with antioxidative activity has been intensified in recent years. The present review provides a brief overview on oxidative stress mediated cellular damages and role of dietary antioxidants as functional foods in the management of human diseases.
Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 Jul-Dec; 4(8): 118–126.doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.70902PMCID: PMC3249911PMID: 22228951
Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health
Wonderful question. There are diverse importance of free radicals on human health. This manuscript can be of help. Article Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: impact on ...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Molecular Cell Biology