Toxicity of oxygen

A major agent and mediator of oxygen toxicity is the superoxide 

The major source is the activity of the mitochondria and microsomal electron transport chains. The 4-electron reduction of oxygen to water, of course, is the normal process underlying mitochondrial electron transport  

The respiratory burst of neutrophils when they come into contact with foreign particles (see Section 2.4.1). 

Endothelial cells, macrophages, fibroblasts have all been reported to generate superoxide radicals. 

Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide have been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation (Burdon and Rice-Evans, 1989), perhaps by signalling between cells. 

But if you produce a free radical (with a single unpaired electron), oxygen immediately reacts with it. When you strike a match, for example, you are producing a small amount of such free radicals. Once free radicals form, they react with oxygen, and this reaction results in the formation of free radicals. Let us see that in the form of chemical equations  

Oxygen, that is, dioxygen can obtain one more electron + e (electron) 

A special kind of iron compound is contained in a number of proteins and enzymes involved in respiration. The iron compound takes the form of either Fe S  

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Davis UV Acute toxicity of oxygen difluoride, Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on Environmental Toxicology, AMRL-TR-70-102, pp 329-340. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, 1970... 

C18. Cleveland, L. R., Toxicity of oxygen for protozoa in vivo and in vitro animals defaunated without injury. Biol. Bull. 48, 455-468 (1925). 

Removal of oxygen radicals Potentiation of the toxicity of oxygen radicals... 

Pardini, R.S., 1995. Toxicity of oxygen from naturally occurring redox-active pro-oxidants. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 29, 101-118. 

There is now evidence that the toxicity of oxygen, as expressed by its partial reduction products, may be used in the overall defensive strategy of... 

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