Free radicals are frequently mentioned in health talks, advertisements, and magazines. In the human body, oxidation naturally produces free radicals, but excessive amounts caused by internal and external factors can damage cells and lead to serious health problems.
Free radicals originate from internal processes and external exposures, leading to electron removal and DNA damage.
Free radicals are atoms or molecules that lack one electron. The lack of an electron makes these atoms or molecules unstable, highly reactive, and tend to attack other atoms or molecules.
Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance loses electrons in its reaction. The oxidation process occurs naturally inside the body to produce free radicals. This situation triggers a chain reaction that produces more free radicals.
Metabolism — occurring in mitochondria.
Inflammation — involving white blood cells.
Cigarette smoke, exposure to radiation such as ionising radiation, sunlight with ultraviolet rays, air pollution, and toxic waste.
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What is the definition of a free radical?
Name two internal factors that produce free radicals inside the human body.
How do free radicals cause DNA damage and lead to cancer?
Free radicals are foreign chemicals that only enter the body from the outside environment.
Free radicals are also produced naturally inside the body as by-products of internal cellular processes such as metabolism in mitochondria and inflammation involving white blood cells.
Free radicals directly add harmful substances into the DNA structure.
Free radicals cause damage by stripping electrons away from the molecules that construct DNA, altering the structure and forming carcinogenic substances.
1 Which of the following is an internal factor that produces free radicals in the body?
2 What makes a free radical chemically unstable and reactive?
3 Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance loses in its reaction.
4 Free radicals damage DNA structure by removing electrons, forming substances that may cause mutations and cancer.
Drag each term to the correct description. On a phone, tap an answer first, then tap a matching box. Tap the Answer Choices area to return a selected item.
Write the correct term next to each description.
Answer choices: Metabolism • Cigarette smoke • Premature aging • Free radical
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