Molecular Function
oxidation-reduction Audio
ox·i·da·tion·re·duc·tion [ ok-sih-day-shun-ree-duk-shun ]
Subclass of:
Energy Metabolism
Definitions related to oxidation-reduction:
  • A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471).
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • (oxidation/reduction) All electron-transfer reactions are considered oxidation/reduction reactions. The substance gaining electrons ("oxidizing agent" or "oxidant") is oxidizing the substance that is losing electrons ("reducing agent" or "reductant"). In the process, the "oxidizing agent" is itself reduced by the "reducing agent."
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (oxidation reduction reaction) Chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred from one reactant to another.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
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