Free Radicals: Detrimental To The Human Body

Free radicals are molecules that have at least one unpaired electron. They are typically very reactive, due to their odd number of electrons. These molecules tend to try and gain or lose electrons so their highest energy levels can be filled. They will bond with other compounds in the body, sometimes combining with them, or even taking parts of intact molecules, resulting in even more free radicals (Walling). Free radicals can be formed by natural body processes, such as metabolism. They can also be obtained from outside influences. In fact, substances that generate free radicals can be found in many different things we take into our bodies. Some of these include unhealthy foods, pollution, alcohol, radiation, drugs (such as tobacco), and even medicines …show more content…
Free radicals aren’t necessarily bad. They are an immensely important part of the immune system. They attack and destroy foreign objects in the bloodstream. They are also very crucial to the processes the body uses to convert air, food and drink into chemical energy for cells to use. Despite these benefits, free radicals can be extremely dangerous. Free Radicals are very unstable. They travel through the body, searching for anything they can take an electron from. This can be absolutely detrimental to the human body because free radicals have the ability to keep cells from performing normally. Free radicals are known to be linked with major medical problems and conditions. Examples of these conditions and problems include cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, heart disease, cataracts, strokes, Osteoporosis, and atherosclerosis (Sharma and Clark). There are ways the body can defend itself from harmful free radicals, and one of these is with antioxidants. Antioxidants bond with free radicals, removing their ability to do damage to the body. They suppress and satisfy the radicals’ need to have a full