Free Radicals
Free Radicals
Tapeshwar Yadav
(Lecturer)
BMLT, DNHE,
M.Sc. Medical Biochemistry
FREE RADICALS
DEFINITION : A free radical is a molecule or
molecular fragment that contains one or more
unpaired electrons in its outermost orbital.
Free radical is generally represented by superscript
dot.
HOW DO THEY GENERATE?
Oxygen atom has two parallel spin electrons in its
outermost orbital.
Out of these H2O2 and Singlet oxygen are not free radicals
but due to extreme reactivity they are included in Reactive
oxygen Species.
HOW DO THEY GENERATE?
Superoxide anion H2O2 Nitric Oxide
Xanthine oxidase Xanthine oxidase NO synthase
Aldehyde oxidase Aldehyde oxidase
NADPH Oxidase
Cyt P450
External Sources :
Cigarette smoke
Inhalation of smoke
Ionising radiations
Light of appropriate wavelengths cause
photolysis of oxygen
WHAT DO THEY DO?
They are constantly produced during the normal
oxidation of foodstuffs.
They
As they are electron deficient, they wander in the cell
for their stability and effect the bio membranes.
6)Trapping agents
Using a chemical species that reacts with free
radicals to form a stable product that can then be
readily measured.
THANK YOU