Element
superoxide Audio
su·per·ox·ide [ soo-per-ok-sahyd, -sid ]
Subclass of:
Peroxides
Definitions related to superoxides:
  • A reactive oxygen species (ROS) containing a negatively charged dioxygen group. Superoxides are produced by phagocytic cells of the immune system to kill invading microorganisms and are neutralized by the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) to protect host cells from oxidative damage.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Compound containing the highly reactive surperoxide radical O2-, which is produced by reduction of molecular oxygen in many biological oxidations.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Highly reactive compounds produced when oxygen is reduced by a single electron. In biological systems, they may be generated during the normal catalytic function of a number of enzymes and during the oxidation of hemoglobin to METHEMOGLOBIN. In living organisms, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE protects the cell from the deleterious effects of superoxides.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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