Free Radicals

Question: How can we get rid of free radicals in the human body? In chemotherapy and radiation the goal is to destroy all cancerous cells because they are weaker than normal cells to this treatment. What if there was a way to create/introduce a "super cell" that looked vulnerable to the free radical that could decompose the free radical? Or what if you could introduce weaker cells into the body chemistry that the free radicals would go after because they were more attracted to that easy mark and then when you accumulated a bunch of them there, then zap those and keep that process going until you eradicated the free radicals? Can blood be spun up to isolate the free radicals and filter them out?

Answer: Very good question! In a few years I might be able to answer them, but I haven't started med school yet! ;) I will need to look into that a bit more! Keep up the ideas, research and curiosity! This is how cures are made!!

Question: will these ways of getting rid of free radicals work? i herd that free radicals are the reason why we age. i also herd that free radicals are in Oxygen. so if you reduce the Oxygen intake by 50% will that make you live twice as long? or will it help? also is there any type of filter that will filter out free radicals from entering your lungs. like a gas mask or something?

Answer: Free radicals is just another word for carcinogen, so avoid exhaust fumes, and cigarettes, and camp fires (and so much more). Even charbroiled foods introduce carcinogens to your body. I really think your best bet is to make sure you up your intake of antioxidants (found in many fruits & veggies). these fight the effects of free radicals. I suggest you look up resveratrol & genome therapies on aging (separately) the results in the lab have been astonishing, it seems they can stop aging.

Question: What are free radicals and whats the big deal about eliminating them? What did the free radicals ever do to you?

Answer: free radicals are basically rogue particles that bounce around inside your cells, damaging your cells as they go. This causes your cells to deteriorate over time, which in effect is the aging process. Theoretically, eliminating some of them slows the damage rate, and the aging process as well.

Question: How does the body excrete the extra electron in free radicals? Free radicals have unpaired valence shell electrons. Anti-oxidants can absorb the electron but how is it ultimately disposed of?

Answer: What you have to keep in mind is that the electric force is a billion billion billion billion billion times stronger than gravity (yes, that's a one followed by 36 zeroes). It takes a ludicrous amount of energy just to have a free electron wandering around. And that probably tells you where they go - they STAY stuck to the antioxidants. Or more accurately, they cause a chemical reaction which turns the antioxidant into something else (which is why they're bad... they'll do that to anything). Then they leave the body when the antioxidants do.

Question: What can I eat/do to get rid of Free Radicals in my body? I don't ever want to get cancer and I hear free radicals are a cause of it. What should I eat or do on a regular basis to make sure I can avoid cancer?

Answer: Antioxidants, and the best way you could do this is to eat a good and balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Question: What are antioxidants and free radicals? What are antioxidants and free radicals? Where do they come from and how do they affect our body? What are some foods that we can eat to combat free radicals? What is a virus? Why are they hard to treat? How does one come in contact with colds and other viruses, and how can one avoid doing so?

Answer: ANTIOXIDANTS These are used to prevent rancidity in fatty foods and to protect the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) against damage by oxidation. Synthetic antioxidants include esters of gallic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, and butylated hydroxyanisole. Vitamins C and E are also commonly used as antioxidants; they obviously enhance the nutritional value of the food to which they are added; indeed, there is some evidence that synthetic antioxidants used in food manufacture also have useful antioxidant action in the body. FREE RADICALS, any molecule capable of independent existence that contains one or more unpaired electrons. An unpaired electron is one that occupies an atomic or molecular orbital by itself. A free radical can be regarded as a fragment of a molecule; free radicals are often extremely reactive, and therefore short-lived. Organic free radicals were recognized by Gomberg in 1900 and this led to speculation that free radical species might play a role in biology. In 1966 Slater proposed that a free radical reaction was the cause of carbon tetrachloride's toxic effect on liver cells, and the theory that free radicals play a role in tissue damage was born. Free radicals are produced in most cells of the body as a byproduct of metabolism, although some cell types manufacture larger quantities for specific purposes (for example, by macrophages during phagocytosis. see Immune System). The most important free radicals found in aerobic cells, such as those in humans, are oxygen, superoxide, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and the transition metals. When free radicals form within cells they can oxidize biomolecules (molecules used inside cells, especially lipids) and thus cause cell death and injury. However, the human body has developed various mechanisms in order to protect itself from the damaging effects of free radicals. There are enzymes which decompose peroxides and transition metals; other free radicals are sequestered by proteins and other molecules. Free radicals are difficult to study because they are only present for very short periods. They usually react with other molecules very quickly. In recent years, it has become accepted that they play an important part in several medical conditions. DNA (see Nucleic Acids) is particularly susceptible to oxidation by free radicals and it has been suggested that these substances may have a role to play in the mutations which precede the development of cancer. This may explain why some transition metals, such as nickel and chromium, are carcinogenic under certain circumstances. Free radicals have also been implicated in atherosclerosis, liver damage, lung disease, kidney damage, diabetes mellitus, and ageing. It is not always easy to tell if free radicals are the cause of a disorder or a result of some other causative agent. Virus (biology) I INTRODUCTION Virus (biology) (Latin, “poison”), any of a number of organic entities consisting simply of genetic material surrounded by a protective coat. The term “virus” was first used in the 1890s to describe agents that caused diseases but were smaller than bacteria. By itself a virus is a lifeless form, but within living cells it can replicate many times and harm its host in the process. The hundreds of known viruses cause a wide range of diseases in humans, other animals, insects, bacteria, and plants (see Diseases of Animals). The existence of viruses was established in 1892, when Russian scientist Dmitry I. Ivanovsky discovered microscopic particles later known as the tobacco mosaic virus. The name virus was applied to these infectious particles in 1898 by the Dutch botanist Martinus W. Beijerinck. A few years later, viruses were found growing in bacteria; these viruses were dubbed bacteriophages. Then, in 1935, the American biochemist Wendell Meredith Stanley crystallized tobacco mosaic virus and showed that it is composed only of the genetic material called ribonucleic acid (RNA) and a protein covering. In the 1940s development of the electron microscope made visualization of viruses possible for the first time. This was followed by development of high-speed centrifuges used to concentrate and purify viruses. The study of animal viruses reached a major turning point in the 1950s with the development of methods to culture cells that could support virus replication in test tubes. Numerous viruses were subsequently discovered, and in the 1960s and 1970s most were analysed to determine their physical and chemical characteristics. II CHARACTERISTICS Viruses are submicroscopic intracellular parasites that consist of either RNA or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)—never both—plus a protective coat of protein or of protein combined with lipid or carbohydrate components. The nucleic acid is usually a single molecule, either singly or doubly stranded. Some viruses, however, may have nucleic acid that is segmented into two or more pieces. The protein shell is termed the capsid, and the protein subunits of the capsid are called capsomeres. Together these form the nucleocapsid. Other viruses have an additional envelope that is usually acquired as the nucleocapsid buds from the host cell. The complete virus particle is called the virion. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites; that is, their replication can take place only in actively metabolizing cells. Outside living cells, viruses exist as inert macromolecules (very large molecules). Viruses vary considerably in size and shape. Three basic structural groups exist: isometric; rod shaped or elongated; and tadpole-like, with head and tail (as in some bacteriophages). The smallest viruses are icosahedrons (20-sided polygons) that measure about 18 to 20 nanometres wide (one-millionth of a millimetre = 1 nanometre). The largest viruses are rod shaped. Some rod-shaped viruses may measure several microns in length, but they are still usually less than 100 nanometres in width. Thus, the widths of even the largest viruses are below the limits of resolution of the light microscope, which is used to study bacteria and other large micro-organisms. Many of the viruses with helical internal structure have outer coverings (also known as envelopes) composed of lipoprotein or glycoprotein, or both. These viruses appear roughly spherical or in various other shapes, and they range from about 60 to more than 300 nanometres in diameter. Complex viruses, such as some bacteriophages, have heads and a tubular tail, which attaches to host bacteria. The pox viruses are brick shaped and have a complex protein composition. Complex and pox viruses are exceptions, however; most viruses have a simple shape. III REPLICATION Viruses do not contain the enzymes and metabolic precursors necessary for self-replication. They have to get these from the host cells that they infect. Viral replication, therefore, is a process of separate synthesis of viral components and assembly of these into new virus particles. Replication begins when a virus enters the cell. The virus coat is removed by cellular enzymes, and the virus RNA or DNA comes into contact with ribosomes (cell organs that synthesize proteins) inside the cell. There the virus RNA or DNA directs the synthesis of proteins specified by the viral nucleic acid. The nucleic acid replicates itself, and the protein subunits constituting the viral coat are synthesized. Thereafter, the two components are assembled into a new virus. One infecting virus can give rise to thousands of progeny viruses. Some viruses are released by destruction of the infected cell. Others are released by budding through cell membranes and do not kill the cell. In some instances, infections are “silent”—that is, viruses may replicate within the cell but cause no obvious cell damage. The RNA-containing viruses are unique among replicative systems in that the RNA can replicate itself independently of DNA. In some cases, the RNA can function as messenger RNA (see Genetics), indirectly replicating itself using the cell's ribosomal and metabolic precursor systems. In other cases, RNA viruses carry within the coat an RNA-dependent enzyme that directs the synthesis of virus RNA. Some RNA viruses, which have come to be known as retroviruses, may produce an enzyme that can synthesize DNA from the RNA molecule. The DNA thus formed then acts as the viral genetic material. Bacterial viruses and animal viruses differ somewhat in their interaction with the cell surface during infection. The “T even” bacteriophage that infects the bacterium Escherichia coli, for instance, first attaches to the surface and injects its DNA directly into the bacterium. No absorption and uncoating take place. The basic events of virus replication, however, are the same after the nucleic acid enters the cell. IV VIRUSES IN MEDICINE Viruses represent a major challenge to medical science in combating infectious diseases. Many cause diseases that are of major importance to humans and that are extraordinary in their diversity. Included among viral diseases is the common cold, which affects millions of people every year. Recent research has even indicated that the AD-36 virus, which causes cold-like symptoms, affects food-energy absorption and more than doubles the normal layer of body fat in animals. About 30 per cent of obese people had contracted AD-36 compared with 5 per cent of lean people, and so this virus may contribute to obesity in a percentage of people. Other viral diseases are important because they are frequently fatal. These diseases include rabies, haemorrhagic fevers, encephalitis, poliomyelitis, and yellow fever. Most viruses, however, cause diseases that usually only create acute discomfort unless the patient develops serious complications from the virus or from a bacterial infection. Some of these diseases are influenza, measles, mumps, cold sores (also known as herpes simplex), chickenpox, shingles (also known as herpes zoster), respiratory diseases, acute diarrhoea, warts, and hepatitis. Still others, such as rubella (also known as German measles) virus and cytomegalovirus, may cause serious abnormalities or death in unborn infants. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by a retrovirus. Only two retroviruses are unequivocally linked with human cancers (see Leukaemia and HTLV), but some papilloma virus forms are suspected. Increasing evidence also indicates that other viruses may be involved in some types of cancer and in chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases. Some of the viruses take a long time to cause disease; kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, both of which gradually destroy the brain, are slow virus diseases. Viruses that cause important human disease are still being discovered. Most can be isolated and identified by laboratory methods, but these usually take several days to complete. One of the most recently discovered viruses is rotavirus, the causal agent of infant gastroenteritis. V SPREAD To cause new cases of disease, viruses must be spread from person to person. Many viruses, such as those causing influenza and measles, are transmitted by the respiratory route when virus-containing droplets are put into the air by people coughing and sneezing. Other viruses, such as those that cause diarrhoea, are spread by the faecal-oral route. Still others, such as yellow fever and viruses called arboviruses, are spread by biting insects. Viral diseases are either endemic (present most of the time), causing disease in susceptible people, or epidemic—that is, they come in large waves and attack thousands of people. An example of an epidemic viral disease is the worldwide occurrence of influenza almost every year. VI TREATMENT Currently, no completely satisfactory treatments exist for viral infections, because most drugs that destroy viruses also damage the cell. The drug amantadine is used extensively in some countries for treatment of respiratory infections caused by influenza-A viruses, and the drug AZT is used in the treatment of HIV. One promising antiviral agent, interferon, is produced by the cell itself. This non-toxic protein, which is produced by some animal cells infected with viruses, can protect other cells against such infection. The use of interferon for treating cancer is under intensive study. Until recently, study of the use of interferon has been restricted by its limited availability in pure form. However, new techniques of molecular cloning of genetic material (see Genetic Engineering) now make it possible for scientists to obtain the protein in larger quantities. Its relative value as an antiviral agent has already been established. The only effective way to prevent viral infection is by the use of vaccines. For example, vaccination for smallpox on a worldwide scale in the 1970s eradicated this disease. Many antiviral vaccines have been developed for humans and other animals. Those for humans include vaccines for rubeola (also known as measles), rubella, poliomyelitis, and influenza. Immunization with a virus vaccine stimulates the body's immune mechanism to produce a protein—called an antibody—that will protect against infection with the immunizing virus. The viruses are always altered before they are used for immunization so that they cannot themselves produce disease. VII PLANT INFECTIONS Viruses cause a wide variety of diseases in plants and frequently cause serious damage to crops. Common plant-disease viruses are turnip yellow mosaic virus, potato leaf roll virus, and tobacco mosaic virus. Plants have rigid cell walls that plant viruses cannot penetrate, so the most important means of plant-virus spread is provided by animals that feed on plants. Often, healthy plants are infected by insects that carry on their mouthparts viruses acquired while feeding on other infected plants. Nematodes (also known as roundworms) may also transmit viruses while feeding on the roots of healthy plants. Plant viruses can accumulate in enormous quantities within infected cells. For instance, tobacco mosaic virus may represent as much as 10 per cent of the dry weight of infected plants. Studies on the interaction of plant viruses with plant cells are limited, because plants often cannot be infected directly, but only by means such as an insect vector. Cell cultures in test tubes, which can be infected with plant viruses, are not generally available. VIII ROLE IN RESEARCH The study of viruses and their interaction with host cells has been a major motivation for the host of fundamental biological studies at a molecular level. For example, the existence of messenger RNA, which carries the genetic code from DNA to define what proteins are made by a cell, was discovered during studies of bacteriophages replicating in bacteria. Studies of bacteriophages have also been instrumental in delineating the biochemical factors that start and stop the utilization of genetic information. Knowledge of how virus replication is controlled is fundamental to understanding biochemical events in higher organisms. The reason that viruses are so useful as model systems for studying events that control genetic information is that viruses are, in essence, small pieces of genetic information that is different from the genetic information of the cell. This allows scientists to study a smaller and simpler replicating system, but one that works on the same principle as that of the host cell. Much of the research on viruses is aimed at understanding their replicative mechanism in order to find ways to control their growth, so that viral diseases can be eliminated. Studies on viral diseases have also contributed greatly to understanding the body's immune response to infectious agents. Antibodies in blood serum, as well as secretions of the mucous membranes, all of which help the body eliminate foreign elements such as viruses, have been more thoroughly characterized by studying their responses to viral infection. Intense scientific interest is now concentrated on studies designed to isolate certain viral genes. These genes can be used in molecular-cloning systems to produce large amounts of particular virus proteins, which can in turn be used as vaccines.

Question: What problems can arise when free radicals take over? I know diseases arise from free radicals, but I am looking for specific answers, for example: brown spots. brown spots....I meant "age spots".

Answer: Cataracts , cancer/tumors , hastens ageing process (indicated by recent research) , atherosclerosis , heart disease due to harmful effects on LDL cholesterol.

Question: Does working out actually increase free radicals in the body? I read in an article on the internet that daily exercise actually increases free radicals in the body. Is this true?

Answer: I hate to agree with that statement, but it's long been true. It's often not talked about, but if you know the body and how it reacts at the cellular level you'd see it right away. With working out it almost, what benefits you the most, creating some additional free radicals (which you can eliminate by the food you eat) or forgo the overall health benefits of training. Those cells aer caused by many other things you don't have much control over. Any stress on the body will release them. Divorce, death in the family, worry about the small stuff...etc. They will always be created by something. Get sick, have an infection to fight off...more are created...throughout ones life it's a never ending cycle. However, with proper diet you can keep them to the bare minimum. I've been N2 Fitness for over 25 years and known about them for about that long...It takes a very long time for them to created a major problem within the body. It's almost like any disease process, you can't treat it till you know what it is...yes, they are a problem that most don't know about or deal with the way I do. They're rarely talked about at the dr.s office, but they know about them. Don't let these facts stop you from your fitness goals...I stress the body hard with my workouts. I let my diet help take care of the inside while I try to change the outside...I could tell you exactly what they are and how they are formed, what they do and how to take care of most of them, but it would be like a science class...pump that iron, don't let it slow you down at all.

Question: How do superoxides/oxygen based free radicals cause damage? How do superoxides cause damage in our bodies? Super oxides...as in oxygen based free radicals. Oxygen with an unpaired electron in its outer shell? Also, how do anti oxidants combat this?

Answer: Free radicals are highly energetic/reactive molecules. These will react with most, if not anything. Like said above, the are very dangerous and can lead to the development of cancerous cells. Free radicals can form from oxidation, UV radiation, and many other forms of radiation like x-ray. Free radicals can be terminated by adding vitamins to your diet. For example, if I know I'm getting an x-ray at the hospital or dentist's office, I make sure to drink a lot of orange juice.

Question: What can create free radicals by accident? So I know that our immune system can create free radicals on purpose to help kill germs and bacteria. In what way does our body create free radicals by accident. Biological Oxidation? Radiation? Need help!!

Answer: Reactive oxygen species can be generated during cellular respiration via electron transport chain in mitochondria. there are enzymes that convert these ROS into something not harmful, but these enzymes are not completely efficient.

Question: What exactly are 'free radicals', and why are they harmful to our health? Free radicals are found in deep fried food and other types of food and I heard something about how eating foods with antioxidants helps neutralize them. What though, are free radicals exactly?

Answer: Short answer, they cause cancer. Long answer: In chemistry, radicals (often referred to as free radicals) are atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons on an otherwise open shell configuration. These unpaired electrons are usually highly reactive, so radicals are likely to take part in chemical reactions. Because they are uncharged, their reactivity is different from the reactivity of similar ions. Radicals play an important role in combustion, atmospheric chemistry, polymerization, plasma chemistry, biochemistry, and many other chemical processes, including human physiology. For example, superoxide and nitric oxide regulate many biological processes, such as controlling vascular tone. "Radical" and "Free Radical" are frequently used interchangeably, however a radical may be trapped within a solvent cage or be otherwise bound. The first organic free radical, the triphenylmethyl radical was identified by Moses Gomberg in 1900. Historically, the term radical has also been used for bound parts of the molecule, especially when they remain unchanged in reactions. For example, methyl alcohol was described as consisting of a methyl 'radical' and a hydroxyl 'radical'. Neither were radicals in the usual chemical sense, as they were permanently bound to each other, and had no unpaired, reactive electrons. In mass spectrometry, such radicals are observed after breaking down the substance with a hail of energetic electrons. Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet. Vitamin E : d-alpha tocopherol. A fat soluble vitamin present in nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains (esp. wheat germ), fortified cereals, and apricots. Current recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 15 IU per day for men and 12 IU per day for women. Vitamin C : Ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries. The RDA is 60 mg per day. Intake above 2000 mg may be associated with adverse side effects in some individuals. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A (retinol) and is present in liver, egg yolk, milk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, and grains. Because beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A by the body there is no set requirement. Instead the RDA is expressed as retinol equivalents (RE), to clarify the relationship. (NOTE: Vitamin A has no antioxidant properties and can be quite toxic when taken in excess.)

Question: How can I replace 'free radicals' by another term in the following sentence please? Additionally, egg plant is effective against the formation of free radicals.

Answer: imbalanced molecules

Question: free radicals? Which is a radical? N2O,Oc!--, ClO2?

Answer: OCl-

Question: How do cells produce energy? What causes free radicals to react with protein to cause cell damage? It is said that free radicals are just very reactive chemical compounds that are created when your cells produce energy, and they can react with proteins to damage cell structures or DNA which can cause mutations and "kinks" in the DNA strand called dimers, which increases risk of the cell becoming cancerous.

Answer: Cells produce energy via cellular respiration. Glucose is broken down in the cytoplasm into pyruvic acid and then further broken down in the mitochondria. Free radicals, mainly methyl, work by bonding to your DNA and effectively turning off genes. If the right (or wrong) combinations of genes are turned off via free radicals, cancer could be the result.

Question: What forces are involved free radicals? There's the octet rule force, the force for unpaired electrons to become paired, what other forces are involved that are regularly involved with free radicals? Thanks, Lisa

Answer: What you are really talking about are Hund's rule and pairing energy. Hund's rule says you must fill all available orbitals of the same energy before you pair up two electrons in any one orbital of the same energy. The single electrons in the orbitals will have the same spin. These electrons are much more reactive than electrons that are paired in the same orbital. For orbitals of different energy, the pairing energy is the cost of putting two electrons in the same orbital (it takes energy to do this as electrons don't like to be near each other) versus occupying the orbital at higher energy (takes energy to do this too). If the pairing energy is less than the difference in energy between the two orbitals, the electrons will pair up and have opposite spins (not a free radical). If the pairing energy is large compared to the difference in orbital energy, the electron will occupy the higher energy orbital and you have a net spin, technically a free radical.

Question: Are free radicals formed because an oxidation reaction does not go to completion? If a free radical has an extra unpaired electron and occurs because of an oxidation reaction, does this mean it occurred because the reaction was never completed and therefore the substance now has an extra electron?

Answer: In a way I guess yes, but no. Certain things, like ultraviolet light, have a tendency to break down compounds and form free radicals. Basically what happens in the UV light excites electrons in a covalent bond enough to break the bond. However instead of both electrons going to one atom as opposed to another the electrons get split and go to each atom involved in the bond. So I guess if you have a stronger oxidizing agent a free radical may not be performed but I wouldn't really say that the oxidation reaction doesn't go to completion. Free radicals are very reactive and usually do not exist for an extended amount of time. This is one method which is used for polymerization. Take compound with a terminal double bond. A free radical is formed from the double bond which reacts with the double bond with another molecule. In return this makes another free radical at the new compound which starts a chain reaction, creating the polymer.