Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is a type of unstable molecule that contains oxygen. ROS can react with other molecules to generate oxidative stress, also known as inflammation. On the one hand, oxidative stress is necessary for key signaling processes in biology. Without ROS, we'd be dead in 40 seconds. On the other hand, ROS in excess can accelerate age-relating processes and are thereby causally associated with dozens of disorders and chronic conditions – with some research linking excess ROS to both hair greying and hair loss.
Aliases
- ROS, ROSs