What is an Oxygen Free Radical?
In biology, atoms are considered to be healthy and stable when they are in what is called a ground state. This occurs when the electrons in the outer shell of the atom each have a second electron paired with it, spinning in the opposite direction. When the atom has one or more electrons that are unpaired, it is considered a free radical. This can occur when an atomic covalent bond is broken, leaving unpaired electrons within the newly formed atom. This begins a chain reaction, as the oxygen free radical tries to return to its ground state by stealing electrons from other molecules and cellular structures, thus creating more free radicals. The formation of a certain amount of free oxygen radicals in the human body is a normal process, however, when the amount of free radicals in the body has exceeded the level that the antioxidant defense system can process, oxygen free radicals can wreak havoc on the system in a variety of ways. Free oxygen radicals have been implicated in playing a ro
