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