Synonyms
Definition
Reactive oxygen species are formed by the partial reduction of molecular oxygen (O2) by enzymatic processes and the interactions of these species with each other and transition metals to produce more reactive oxygen species.
Discussion
Oxidative damage to DNA is discussed in the entry of the same title, and this entry will deal with the background on the reactive forms of oxygen and how they are formed.
In its native state, O2 is in the triplet state (3O2) and not prone to react with organic molecules, almost all of which are in the singlet state. However, O2 is readily reduced by a number of enzyme systems (Fig. 1).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsAuthor information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Guengerich, F.P. (2018). Reactive Oxygen Species. In: Wells, R.D., Bond, J.S., Klinman, J., Masters, B.S.S. (eds) Molecular Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1531-2_272
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1531-2_272
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1529-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1531-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences