Moreover, some environmental toxins, such as cigarette smoke, some metals, and high-oxygen atmospheres, may contain large amounts of free radicals or stimulate the body’s cells to produce more free radicals.įree radicals that contain the element oxygen are the most common type of free radicals produced in living tissue. The production of abnormally high levels of free radicals is the mechanism by which ionizing radiation kills cells. When ionizing radiation hits an atom or a molecule in a cell, an electron may be lost, leading to the formation of a free radical. The damage to cells caused by free radicals, especially the damage to DNA, may play a role in the development of cancer and other health conditions ( 1, 2).Ībnormally high concentrations of free radicals in the body can be caused by exposure to ionizing radiation and other environmental toxins. At high concentrations, however, free radicals can be hazardous to the body and damage all major components of cells, including DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. Free radicals are formed naturally in the body and play an important role in many normal cellular processes ( 1, 2). They are created when an atom or a molecule (a chemical that has two or more atoms) either gains or loses an electron (a small negatively charged particle found in atoms).
Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that have the potential to harm cells.
