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Free Radical Damage: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with "Aside from impaired energy production, damage to the Mitochondria leads also to increased production of toxic molecules called free radicals. Compounds called antioxidants...") |
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Antioxidants , also known as “free radical scavengers,” are compounds that either reduce the formation of free radicals or react with and neutralize them. Antioxidants often work by donating an electron to the free radical before it can oxidize other cell components. Once the electrons of the free radical are paired, the free radical is stabilized and becomes non-toxic to cells. Therapy aimed at increasing the availability of antioxidants in cells may be effective in preventing or slowing the course of neurological diseases. <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/ National Institutes of Health]</ref> | Antioxidants , also known as “free radical scavengers,” are compounds that either reduce the formation of free radicals or react with and neutralize them. Antioxidants often work by donating an electron to the free radical before it can oxidize other cell components. Once the electrons of the free radical are paired, the free radical is stabilized and becomes non-toxic to cells. Therapy aimed at increasing the availability of antioxidants in cells may be effective in preventing or slowing the course of neurological diseases. <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/ National Institutes of Health]</ref> | ||
==Oxidative Stress== | |||
Oxidative stress refers to a pathological state that arises from the damage caused by free radicals (collectively known of as reactive oxygen species, ROS) when they interact with molecules in the body. These free radicals can damage any component of the cell such as the DNA, the proteins and the lipids and give rise to cancer and various other disease states such as heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders.<ref>[http://www.news-medical.net/health/Oxidative-Stress-and-Oxidants.aspx Oxidative Stress]</ref> | |||