Thursday, 29 June 2017

The Plasmalemmal Na/K-ATPase: An Amplifier for Reactive Oxygen Species?

Discovered only within the last fifty years, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are oxygen derived free radicals found in both intra- and extracellular space. Common forms of ROS include superoxide anion (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH-), andperoxide (O2-2), each classified as free radicals, due to the presence of an extra unpaired electron carried in their outer shell, giving each species paramagnetic tendencies.

Plasmalemmal Na/K-ATPase
Plasmalemmal Na/K-ATPase

As metabolic by-products within normal physiological processes, such as the mitochondrial electron transport chain, ROS highly reactive nature arms them with the capability to damage surrounding cells-- irrespective of cell type. Consequently, if the magnitude of derived ROS exceeds the host’s capacity to detoxify the reactive intermediates--via antioxidants--then the physiological system is said to be under oxidative stress. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

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