The Age of Chemistry

Erik Robbins
Professor Terry Roylance
Chemistry 1010

Aging is a process; there are multiple stages to aging. These stages include birth,
childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, geriatric and eventually death. So what is this
mysterious thing that makes us age? What are the chemicals that affect aging the most? Does
oxidation affect aging? What is oxidation? These are all questions that many people may want
answered. There are novels written and movies made about the fountain of youth, who knew that
it may be a fountain of perfectly balanced chemistry? There are a few theories of why we age
and one of the more well-known theories is the free-radical theory of aging (FRTA) which will
be explained.
Free radicals are any atoms or molecules that have an unpaired electron in a valence
shell. Electrons in valence shells need even amounts of electrons to be full; a missing electron
encourages the free radical to steal electrons from other useful and good atoms and molecules.
The random bonding of excess oxygen molecules causes damage commonly referred to as
oxidative damage. This is quite common and these free radicals can be found everywhere in
almost everything we do. From eating food,
being stress, breathing toxins in the air such as
second-hand smoke or pollution, smoking

Image courtesy of
Wikipedia

tobacco, sunlight and countless other things.

Looking at identical twins where one smokes
tobacco and their identical sibling does not is
interesting as it is almost always obvious as to
who is the smoker versus who is the
nonsmoker. The numerous free radicals that are introduced with every cigarette attack healthy
cells and seek to sabatoge them.

The twin on the left is a smoker and

the twin on the right is a non-smoker.

Unfortunately one of the precious molecules that sustain life here on earth also ages us,
oxygen. Oxygen is considered a free radical because it allows for sometimes dangerous bonds to
be made between oxygen and other available molecules. Oxygen has six valence electrons, two
of which electrons are not paired. Commonly, oxygen molecules will bond with water and more
oxygen which produces hydrogen peroxide which can be hazardous to a persons health.
Another precious system in our body, the system that forms ATP (adenosine
triphosphate) more commonly known as energy, is what our body produces by converting
glucose into this energy. The production of energy can occur different ways, both of which can
either include or exclude oxygen. Different byproducts are produced while creating ATP with
oxygen. For example, while creating ATP with oxygen, oxidative phosphorylation occurs.
Oxidative phosphorylation is a contributor to free radicals as electrons are being transferred
across the mitochondrion membranes. NADH, a byproduct of ATP production, loses electrons
during the electron transport chain (ETC) which is a major step in creating energy for the body.
That loss of electrons changes the NADH into NAD+ releasing free radical molecules to wreak
havoc inside the cell.
Luckily our body has a natural defense for this oxidation damage. It produces antioxidants which inhibit the oxidation of the free radicals. Two of the main anti-oxidants our

bodies naturally produce are catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Catalase breaks down
hydrogen peroxide back into water and oxygen. SOD is significant to combating oxidation.
Superoxides are reactive forms of oxygen which leak from respiratory enzymes and affect the
other molecules in the cell. The superoxide can cause mutations in DNA and attack enzymes
that make amino acids and other essential molecules (Goodsell).
Our body produces only so many of these good antioxidants and the amount of antioxidants do not compare to the amount of free radicals the anti-oxidants have to inhibit. As we
get older and our bodys system starts wearing and slowing down, the numbers of free radicals
increase whereas the numbers of naturally produced anti-oxidants decrease. Doctors suggest
supplementing with sources of these naturally occurring anti-oxidants as well as synthetic
sources of anti-oxidants. Some natural sources of anti-oxidants are blueberries, pomegranates
and the aa berries.
As you have probably seen on advertisements, topical cosmetic applications also claim to
prevent aging, wrinkles or even reverse the effects of aging. The common chemical compounds
known in these creams and scrubs are alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) and butylated hydroxyanisole
(BHA C11H16O2). These chemicals simply give elasticity to the skin including improving the
appearance of scars and sun damaged skin but these products do not encourage new skin growth
to inhibit the effects of the free radicals.
Stress is also a cause for free radicals, this is called oxidative stress. Free radicals are also
known as reactive oxygen species or ROS. There are many causes of free radical stress which is
now seen as a major mechanism in chronic diseases as well as aging (Howard). Some examples

of those chronic diseases may include but are not limited to emphysema and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease.
The environment also plays a large role in free radical production. Living here in Utah
where in the winter season brings the inversion into the valley and reduces air quality. This
gathering of free radicals is particularly dangerous in air pollution; a study out of Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge suggests that free radicals that are in fine particles in air pollution
may be 300 times as damaging as those from tobacco smoke (MacNaughton).
In conclusion, free radicals will be in our system, we cannot escape them. Until someone
invents a way for our bodys receptors to block all free radicals, which is not currently feasible,
we will have to continue eating our blueberries, pomegranates and drinking our aa specialty
juices. The fact of life remains, for now, humans are to grow old and eventually die. That
fountain of youth is still a distant dream.

Bibliography:
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Howard, Alex. "Learn about the Causes of Free Radical Stress." NaturalNews. Natural
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