Free radicals are tiny, unstable molecules that play a paradoxical role in human biology. While essential for certain bodily functions, their unchecked activity can often lead to many negative responses, including cellular damage. From the air we breathe to the foods we eat, free radicals originate from both natural processes and external sources like pollution, radiation, and unhealthy lifestyles.
Though our bodies are equipped with antioxidant defenses, excessive free radical production can overwhelm these protective mechanisms. But there’s good news: understanding free radicals is the first step in minimizing their impact.
So, what exactly are free radicals? Why are they so reactive? And how do they form inside the human body? Click through this gallery to find out all these answers and more.