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Glite Dictionary
superoxide

superoxide

1 8.2
A negatively charged form of oxygen with one extra electron
  • noun
  • /ˈsuːpərˌaɪkaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : superóxido
  • In both cell systems, gentamicin amplified the production of superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide.
  • superoxide dismutase
  • mitochondrial superoxide
  • superoxide anion

Examples

  • The presence of superoxide can lead to oxidative stress in biological systems.

  • Superoxide is produced during the metabolism of oxygen within cells.

  • Perhaps the most common free radical produced by the body is the superoxide radical, produced from oxygen during its metabolism.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The superoxide radical is converted to hydrogen peroxide by superoxide dismutase.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The very machinery the mitochondria use to produce energy and consume oxygen also leaks electrons, producing superoxide and other toxic free radicals.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Phagocytes utilize the cytotoxic effects of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and the highly toxic hydroxyl radical.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The mechanism of antioxidants includes the activation of defense enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, which are responsible for ROS scavenging.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Researchers are studying how superoxide interacts with other free radicals in the body.

Synonyms

superoxide anion
vssuperoxide
  • Specialized
7.7

An oxygen molecule with an extra electron that can damage cells

is the identical term but phrased more explicitly as the charged oxygen ion

Compounds

superoxide anion
  • Specialized
7.7

An oxygen molecule with an extra electron that can damage cells

superoxide dismutase
  • Specialized
6.8

A protein in cells that turns harmful superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide

Surface Forms

superoxide singular
superoxides plural

Morphology

superoxide = oxide (semi-transparent) = super + oxide

Formally compositional (super- + oxide) but the precise chemical sense (the O2− anion) is specialized and not fully predictable by general learners from the components alone.

Etymology

Superoxide comes from super- meaning 'extra' and oxide, from oxygen, the gas we breathe. So a superoxide is like an 'extra' form of oxygen with one extra electron, and that is why it acts strongly in chemistry and in the body.