The Free Radical Theory of Ageing: Does it apply to Antarctic and Temperate Sea

ii Sea urchins were used as a model organism to investigate oxidative damage with age as they are readily available in both temperate and Antarctic environments and growth data is known. The free radical theory of aging was first proposed in the 1950’s by Denham Harman and is one of the most popular explanations for how ageing occurs at the molecular level. Oxidative damage is believed to be due to an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, in favour of the oxidants, resulting in a progressive loss of functional cellular processes. Environmental conditions such as a decrease in sea temperature causes an increase in oxygen solubility, which is expected to cause an increase in oxidative stress, suggesting latitude may influence levels of oxidative stress experienced by an organism. The common Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri was collected from Cape Evans, Ross Island, Antarctica (77°38'5.15"S, 166°24'37.21"E) and the common New Zealand sea urchin Evechinu