Free radicals
Free radicals are molecules containing oxygen that lack an electron. This makes them highly aggressive and reactive. They seize electrons from other molecules, thereby converting these into free radicals as well, which amounts to a chain reaction. Free radicals disrupt important metabolic processes and can damage important proteins, for example in the cell membrane, as well as the cell’s genetic material (DNA). In this way, they promote tissue damage, functional disorders, or even the development of tumours.
See also: Antioxidants