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What is a Free Radical?
 To understand what a “free radical” is you first must understand the anatomy of an atom. Atoms or molecules are made up of electrons that move around the central mass consisting of protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge, electrons have a negative electrical charge and neutrons have no electrical charge.
A "free radical" is any atom or molecule which has an "unpaired electron" in the outer ring. Most electrons are paired but sometimes and will go away due to a stronger electrical charge or biological reaction.
For example, helium has 2 electrons circling around the center, and its center is made up of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. If 1 of those electrons "goes away", then the atom becomes a free radical. This would also be called an “ion." An "ion" is an atom with some "net electrical charge" - either a "+" charge or a "-" charge. As mentioned before, once an atom has fewer electrons, with a negative electrical charge than protons, we therefore say that this atom is positively charged. Because it is positively charged it attracts any available electron with its negative charge; opposites attract.
In summary, free radicals are atoms or molecules which contain unpaired electrons. Since electrons have a very strong tendency to exist in a paired rather than an unpaired state, free radicals indiscriminately pick up electrons from other atoms, which in turn converts those other atoms into secondary free radicals, thus setting up a chain reaction which can cause substantial biological damage. This chemical process of gaining or losing an electron is called oxidation.
Where do Free Radicals come from?
Free radicals can come from many different sources such as ultraviolet rays, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, industrial smoke, the foods we eat, and even strenuous activities such as working out. The body can also produce free radicals when it generates energy by gradually oxidizing its food in a controlled manner and storing it in the form of chemical potential energy, called ATP.
This energy-generation process which is so essential to life can also set the stage for cell damage. The oxidation of food is like a controlled fire which liberates energy but can also let sparks fly, giving rise to potential damage. The sparks in this analogy are free electrons escaping the transport system. These unpaired electrons readily form free radical molecules which are chemically reactive and highly unstable. *
How do Free Radicals cause damage?
Free radical molecules which rapidly react with other molecules, setting off a chain reaction of free radical formation. So now we have this molecule which is missing an electron and is dying to get its hands on another electron to help fill its need. This free radical now goes and “steals” an electron from another molecule that is more willing to give one up and thus it becomes satisfied, but now the victim molecule has become a free radical! This process is called oxidation and if it happens enough, it can disrupt the living cell and other cells around it.
Oxidation can affect a cell in many different ways. For example, cell membranes are made of unsaturated lipids. The unsaturated lipid molecules of cell membranes are particularly susceptible to this damaging free radicals process and readily contribute to the uncontrolled chain reaction. Oxidation can lead to a breakdown or even hardening of lipids. If the cell wall is hardened then it becomes impossible for the cell to properly receive nutrients and signals from other cells and could lead to death or mutation of the DNA which can contribute to many different diseases such as heart disease, cancer and even old age!
This is why Antioxidants are so important! Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-"stealing" reaction. Antioxidants can function with or without that electron so it does not look to “steal” another electron, stopping the chain reaction.
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