Reactive Oxygen Species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a collective term given to a group of oxygen-containing intermediates, many of which react with biomolecules such as DNA, lipids, or proteins. ROS include (but are not limited to) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the superoxide radical anion (O2˙−), the hydroxyl radical (˙OH), and singlet oxygen (1O2). ROS sometimes have one or more unpaired electrons – as denoted by a superscript dot “˙”