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Role of Antioxidants in Apoptosis

The body's ability to ward off sickness and disease relies in part on a cell's ability to detect threats and carry out necessary functions. Apoptosis is one of many protective mechanisms cells use. As the body ages, excess materials can build up inside cells. Antioxidants act as scavengers for these materials and ultimately support normal cell function.

  1. Apoptosis

    • Apoptosis is a natural process designed to prevent defective or malfunctioning cells from reproducing in the body. It works as a protective mechanism that operates along with the body's immune system. In cases where a cell is old, it may fail to function normally, and actually prevent apoptosis processes from taking place. Over the years, harmful materials can build up inside cell bodies and impair their ability to function normally. These materials are commonly known as free radicals.

    Function

    • Apoptosis processes are regulated by chemical reactions, or signal pathways within a cell. Also known as the "cell death pathway," a series of enzyme reactions eventually cause the cell to implode and discharge its contents for excretion through the bloodstream. Cells in which DNA damage is present can also set this pathway into motion. Cells that lose their ability to kill themselves off can pose a risk to the body and potentially manufacture more cells of the same.

    Free Radicals

    • Free radicals are leftover molecules formed through ongoing cellular processes, according to Rice University. Free radicals can also develop in response to poor dietary or recreational habits like smoking. These molecules are typically unstable, meaning they carry charges, as they are fragment materials. These charges can potentially affect normal cell function by contaminating the molecular balance or chemical equilibrium present in the cell. Over time, free radicals can impair DNA and cell membrane functions, as well as a cell's apoptosis functions.

    Antioxidants

    • Antioxidant materials are produced by the body in the form of enzymes and also come through a person's dietary intake, according to Rice University. The chemical structure of antioxidants enables them to absorb the excess charges produced by free radicals. They naturally scavenge for cellular waste materials like free radicals, and in effect balance out the chemical equilibrium within individual cells, according to HealthCheck Systems. By clearing out waste materials, antioxidants can prevent cellular damage from impairing normal cell function.

    Considerations

    • When cells are unable to carry out apoptosis processes, the risk for developing cancer, heart disease and other conditions increases. According to HealthCheck Systems, the neutralizing effects of antioxidants can help ward off weakened cell functions as well as slow the effects of cell aging. Certain antioxidants like vitamin C, selenium, vitamin E and beta-carotene are produced by the body and must come through dietary intake. Vitamin E plays an active role in preventing free radicals from altering cell equilibrium, while vitamin C works to reinforce the effects of vitamin E. Selenium is a trace metal element that assists the body's natural antioxidant production processes.

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