The Reactive Oxygen Species Singlet Oxygen, Hydroxy Radicals, and the Superoxide Radical Anion—Examples of Their Roles in Biology and Medicine

Reactive oxygen species comprise oxygen-based free radicals and non-radical species such as peroxynitrite and electronically excited (singlet) oxygen. These reactive species often have short lifetimes, and much of our understanding of their formation and reactivity in biological and especially medical environments has come from complimentary fast reaction methods involving pulsed lasers and high-energy radiation techniques. These and related methods, such as EPR, are discussed with particular reference to singlet oxygen, hydroxy radicals, the superoxide radical anion, and their roles in medical aspects, such as cancer, vision and skin disorders, and especially pro- and anti-oxidative processes.