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Nature 408, 239-247 (9 November 2000) | doi:10.1038/35041687

review article Oxidants, oxidative stress and the biology of ageing

Toren Finkel & Nikki J. Holbrook

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Living in an oxygenated environment has required the evolution of effective cellular strategies to detect and detoxify metabolites of molecular oxygen known as reactive oxygen species. Here we review evidence that the appropriate and inappropriate production of oxidants, together with the ability of organisms to respond to oxidative stress, is intricately connected to ageing and life span.