What happens when cells are damaged?

When cells are damaged, several physiological processes are triggered that can impact cellular health and function:

1. Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS):

   • ROS, while essential for aerobic metabolism, can cause oxidative stress when produced in excess. This leads to cell damage by activating various enzymes that degrade cellular structures and harm mitochondrial function, reducing ATP production—the energy currency of cells 1.

2. Cell Replication and Direct Damage:

   • Some pathogens, such as certain viruses, can replicate within cells and cause direct damage. These pathogens, while moving from cell to cell, can induce free radical injury and release enzymes that degrade cell components. This process increases permeability in blood vessels, leading to fluid and protein leakage, and subsequently causes edema and hypovolemia due to the inflammatory response 2.

3. Accumulation of Molecular and Cellular Damage:

   • Aging is characterized by the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage, which is a consequence of the body's normal functions. Initially, the body can tolerate some damage, but over time, this damage exceeds the body's capacity for repair, leading to age-related declines in function and diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer. Effective control of aging would require interventions that repair this damage, maintaining it below harmful levels 3.
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       1

       Cellular Damage Insights

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       2

       Leaky Blood Vessels

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       3

       Aging and Damage

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       4

       Cellular Damage Reality

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4. Impact of External Factors:

   • Environmental factors, such as exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cell phones, can contribute to cellular damage over time. This type of damage, even without leading to cancer, can break DNA and impair the function of organ systems, complicating the body's repair mechanisms 4.

Understanding and managing cellular damage involves recognizing the balance between damage and repair processes and mitigating excessive oxidative stress and other harmful exposures.