Free Radicals and Antioxidants

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Free Radicals and Antioxidants

• Bryan Lucke, Jeremy Leech, and Hillary Potter

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Free Radicals? Antioxidants?

• Free radicals are unstable atoms with at least
  one unpaired electron.
• They are commonly generated by aerobic organisms
  during ATP production.
• Radiation can also play a role in the converting
  of atoms into unstable free radicals by knocking
  off an electron from a pair.
• ANTIOXIDANTS
• Antioxidants work against free radicals.
• Many anti-oxidants occur naturally
• in fruits and vegetables and in
• vitamins C, A, E and selenium.

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Free Radicals and Diseases

• Free radicals can directly effect the cells
  growth and development.
• Free radicals have an
• overwhelming role in
• the cell survival, pathogenesis
• of atherosclerosis, cancer, and
• several other conditions.

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Superoxide

• O2- ion is constantly manufactured by the body
  during normal metabolism when a neutral oxygen
  molecule gains an extra electron.
• In this highly reactive state, molecular
  complexes such as DNA, proteins, lipids, and
  carbohydrates, which all readily acquire or give
  up electrons, are major targets.
• The damage to DNA caused by these free radicals
  lead to cancer.

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Atherosclerotic Plaques
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Continued
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Chain Red-ox Reaction
Antioxidants work against free radicals by giving
up their electrons and then maintaining their
stability therefore interrupting the chain
reaction, protecting important molecular
complexes.
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The Mafia
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The Mafia

• Radiation is the Don
• Members of Mafia are free radicals
• Chain reaction is family business
• Antioxidants are the heroes or marters

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Fire

• Radiation/Normal Metabolism Spark
• Free Radical - Fire
• Chain reaction Fire Spreads
• Antioxidants Firemen
• Fire is Extinguished or Burns Out.

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References

• Janice Lapsansky
• Human Physiology An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed.
  
• Free Radicals and Antioxidants http//www.rice.edu
  /jenky/sports/antiox.html
• Understanding Free Radicals http//www.healthcheck
  systems.com/antioxid.htm