זקנה וחמצון: מאורעות ושיטות במחקר עקה חמצונית בזקנה

A historical account of the 'free radical theory of aging' will be presented, focusing on its devolvement as one of the major theories in aging research which can be tested scientifically, and demonstrating findings and evidence in support of the theory. Definitions and categories in the research field of oxidative stress and antioxidants will be defined, and the concept of the 'antioxidant redox chain' will be elaborated. The deleterious role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in various biological systems and the damage they promote to macromolecules, will be discussed. Furthermore, common methodologies in oxidative stress research will be presented, including laboratory measurements of oxidative stress and oxidative damage to macromolecules (i.e., proteins, lipids and DNA), and various techniques for measuring antioxidant activities and/or antioxidant levels in cells and tissues and their biological implications. Finally, future perspectives in the field of oxidative stress and antioxidant research will be discussed.