title: Oxygen, a paradoxical element?
abstract: Oxygen is an essential element for life on earth. No life may exist without oxygen. But in the last forty years, conclusive evidence demonstrated the double-edge sword of this element. In certain conditions, oxygen may produce reactive species, even free radicals. More, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) takes place everywhere: in air, nature or inside human bodies. The paradox of oxygen atom is entirely due to its peculiar electronic structure. But life began on earth, only when nature found efficient weapons against ROS, these antioxidants, which all creatures are extensibly endowed with. The consequences of oxygen activation in human bodies are only partly known, in spite of extensive scientific research on theoretical, experimental and clinical domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greabu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battino
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohora
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olinescu
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totan
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Didilescu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010100:Oxygen