HELP!! 50 POINTS! Describe what oxidative stress is. Provide three examples of how our bodies can be exposed to oxidative stress. Also, describe the role antioxidants play in regard to oxidative stress. Be sure to include in your answer a brief explanation of what free radicals are.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. The uneven number allows them to easily react with other molecules. Free radicals can cause large chain chemical reactions in your body because they react so easily with other molecules. These reactions are called oxidation. They can be beneficial or harmful.

Antioxidants are molecules that can donate an electron to a free radical without making themselves unstable. This causes the free radical to stabilize and become less reactive.

Read on to learn how oxidative stress affects the body and how to manage and prevent this imbalance.