free radical
an atom or molecule that bears an unpaired electron and is extremely reactive, capable of engaging in rapid chain reactions that destabilize other molecules and generate many more free radicals: in the body, deactivated by antioxidants, uric acid, and certain enzyme activities.
Origin of free radical
1- Compare diradical.
Words Nearby free radical
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use free radical in a sentence
Long-term users didn’t show a big increase in free radicals when they vaped.
A single vape session can harm immune cells in the body | Alison Pearce Stevens | October 15, 2021 | Science News For StudentsThis compound has several functions, including fighting free radicals that may be slowing down your collagen production, boosting the production of new collagen, and helping you safely store the collagen you already have.
7 things you can do to actually prevent wrinkles | Sandra Gutierrez | July 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceMohara explains that free radicals in polluted air touch your skin and trigger a chemical reaction that destroys collagen.
7 things you can do to actually prevent wrinkles | Sandra Gutierrez | July 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceARIES Hitting your stride, you personify progressive ideals without seeming like a free radical.
I always thought a free radical was a political bomb thrower out of jail.
The Egyptian Cat Mystery | Harold Leland Goodwin
British Dictionary definitions for free radical
an atom or group of atoms containing at least one unpaired electron and existing for a brief period of time before reacting to produce a stable molecule: Sometimes shortened to: radical Compare group (def. 10)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for free radical
An atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron and is therefore unstable and highly reactive. In animal tissues, free radicals can damage cells and are believed to accelerate the progression of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related diseases.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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