Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which an oxygen atom attached to a molecule undergoes a chemical reaction that causes it to combine with another molecule to form a new molecule. In the human body it typically occurs due to the activity of free radical molecules.
Free radical molecules are chemical compounds that are imbalanced because they have an unpaired electron or proton. In stable molecules, each negatively charged electron is paired with a positively charged proton. Molecules that have an imbalance between electrons and protons constantly attempt to balance themselves by scavenging a proton or electron from another molecule. Because they are imbalanced, they have an electrical charge that attracts atoms from other molecules, including molecules which are already balanced.
If a free radical scavenges an electron from a balanced molecule, that molecule becomes imbalanced and can cause damage to the body part with which it is associated. For example, if the molecule is part of a cell in the eye, the eye may become damaged.
Antioxidants are special types of molecules that can donate an electron to a free radical without becoming unstable. If there is a balance between the number of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, free radicals can react with antioxidants without causing damage to body cells and tissues.
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