[oem7110]

I would like to know on how are free radicals created as a bi-product of normal processes within the body.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions

[Babcock_Hall]

That is a very broad topic.  Here are a couple of questions to get you started:  How many electrons does it take to reduce oxygen to water?  Are they added all at once?

[oem7110]

That is a very broad topic.  Here are a couple of questions to get you started:  How many electrons does it take to reduce oxygen to water?  Are they added all at once?

Free radicals are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons, so something takes an electron from any atoms or molecules, then they become free radicals.  The main question is what make electron removed from atoms so easily.  The process change a stable atoms into unstable atoms, which requires energy. 

Furthermore, if body gets more free radicals in blood, would pH of blood tend to be higher or lower?

Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you very much for any suggestions :>

[Babcock_Hall]

I don't think it is easy to predict what would happen to the pH of blood.  Let me give you some help with the question I posed.  To reduce oxygen to water takes four electrons, and molecular oxygen cannot ordinarily accept electrons in pairs, but only singly.  Therefore, one produces the equivalent of the superoxide radical at the active site of cytochrome c oxidase.  If that were to escape, it might cause mischief in the cell.  Reactive oxygen species are a big topic.  Here is a review to get you started:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095528630600266X

During normal cellular activities, various processes inside of cells produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some of the most common ROS are hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide ion (O2􏰀), and hydroxide radical (OH􏰀). These compounds, when present in a high enough concentration, can damage cellular proteins and lipids or form DNA adducts that may promote carcinogenic activity. The purpose of antioxidants in a physiological setting is to prevent ROS concentrations from reaching a high-enough level within a cell that damage may occur. Cellular antioxidants may be enzymatic (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) or nonenzymatic (glutathione, thiols, some vitamins and metals, or phytochemicals such as isoflavones, polyphenols, and flavanoids).
Reactive oxygen species are a potential double-edged sword in disease prevention and promotion. Whereas generation of ROS once was viewed as detrimental to the overall health of the organism, advances in research have shown that ROS play crucial roles in normal physiological processes including response to growth factors, the immune response, and apoptotic elimination of damaged cells. Notwithstanding these beneficial functions, aberrant production or regulation of ROS activity has been demonstrated to contribute to the development of some prevalent diseases and conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The topic of antioxidant usage and ROS is currently receiving much attention because of studies linking the use of some antioxidants with increased mortality in primarily higher-risk populations and the lack of strong efficacy data for protection against cancer and heart disease, at least in populations with adequate baseline dietary consumption.
In normal physiological processes, antioxidants effect signal transduction and regulation of proliferation and the immune response. Reactive oxygen species have been linked to cancer and CVD, and antioxidants have been considered promising therapy for prevention and treatment of these diseases, especially given the tantalizing links observed between diets high in fruits and vegetables (and presumably antioxidants) and decreased risks for cancer.

[oem7110]

I don't think it is easy to predict what would happen to the pH of blood.  Let me give you some help with the question I posed.  To reduce oxygen to water takes four electrons, and molecular oxygen cannot ordinarily accept electrons in pairs, but only singly. 

Can I reduce free radicals by hyperventilation? which would reduce carbon dioxide levels and increase oxygen levels. This approach reduces free ionized in the blood. But I don't know on how to work out the details of receiving electrons.

On the other hands, can I reduce free radicals by drinking alkaline water? which supply electron to reduce free radicals.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks, to everyone very much for any suggestions :>

[Babcock_Hall]

We don't give medical advice, if I understand the policies of this forum correctly.  However, it seems to me as if your general level of education would benefit by reading some mainstream information on free radicals in biochemistry.  Here is another review:  The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 39 (2007) 44–84
"Free radicals and antioxidants in normal physiological functions and human disease,"
Marian Valko, Dieter Leibfritz, Jan Moncol, Mark T.D. Cronin, Milan Mazur, Joshua Telser

[kriggy]

I don't think it is easy to predict what would happen to the pH of blood.  Let me give you some help with the question I posed.  To reduce oxygen to water takes four electrons, and molecular oxygen cannot ordinarily accept electrons in pairs, but only singly. 

Can I reduce free radicals by hyperventilation? which would reduce carbon dioxide levels and increase oxygen levels. This approach reduces free ionized in the blood. But I don't know on how to work out the details of receiving electrons.

On the other hands, can I reduce free radicals by drinking alkaline water? which supply electron to reduce free radicals.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks, to everyone very much for any suggestions :>

To answer some of your questions:
a) Hyperventilating wont help, since as much as 3% of total oxygen you breathe is converted to superoxide radical, which is further converted to other compounds, so that increasing your oxygen level will therefore incresase amount of radicals. Note that those radicals are important part of body singnaling pathways and their level in body is carefuly controlled. THose control mechanisms are very complex and unless you are suffering from some dissease or maybe lack some dietary suplements you should be fine.

b) Alkaline water will not help either since your stomach has acid in it and it will get neutralized.

Babcock_Hall: this article is indeed very good and thorough but might take some time to read :-D

[oem7110]

After cells lose electrons and become free radicals, I would like to know on what happen to cells in term of function, oxygen consumption and co2 release.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks, to everyone very much for any suggestions :>

Antioxidants - vs - Free Radicals - Immune System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCF6prDSrHE

[oem7110]

Free Radicals - What exactly is a free radical?

A scientific explanation: In essence, a free radical is any molecular species capable of independent existence, that contains one or more unpaired electrons not contributing to intermolecular bonding, and is, in that sense, "free". They are produced by oxidation/reduction reactions, in which there is a transfer of only one electron at a time, or when a covalent bond is broken and one electron from each pair remains with each atom. Thus, a free radical has an unpaired electron.

Many free radicals are highly reactive, owing to the tendency of electrons to pair; that is, to pair by the receipt of an electron from an appropriate donor or to donate an electron to an appropriate acceptor. Whenever a free radical reacts with a non-radical, a chain reaction is initiated until two free radicals react and then terminate the propagation with a 2-electron bond, with each radical contributing its single unpaired electron. The free radicals of special interest in aging are the oxygen free radicals (OH., H., O2.-). These free radicals often take an electron away from a "target" molecule to pair with their single free electron; this is what is commonly termed oxidation. The term reactive oxygen species is used to refer to these oxidants and the oxygen free radicals.

In the human body, oxidized free radicals are believed to cause tissue damage at the cellular level, causing damage to our DNA, mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), and cell membrane, and have often been referred to as one of the causes attributed to aging, cancer, heart disease, and other human ailments harmful to one's health. While the green tea ion of free radicals is a normal part of metabolism at the cellular level, things such as excessive alcohol intake, smoking, and various chemical exposures only serve to increase the amount of free radicals present in the body. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

I would like to know on what happen to cells if cells lose a pair of electron and become non-radical, would the cells die at this stage?

"Our own bodies know about free radicals, and even use some of them in sending messages around the body or helping the immune system. "

If we have more free radicals, how does it effect on communication within our immune system? Do our immune system perform better with more or less free radicals?

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks, to everyone very much for any suggestions :>

[kriggy]

Well our imune system produce free radicals to kill the bacteria or other pathogengs.
THe concentration of those radicals is usualy very low and since increased concentration of thos radicals damage cell structures and even cause cell death.
Maybe you should read that article suggested by Babcock_Hall