Abstract
Redox reactions are omnipresent in biology, yet the chemical basis of redox processes is often poorly understood. The lack of detailed knowledge of the relevant oxidation and reduction reactions, oxidation states, suitable reaction partners, and mechanisms involved, but also of more general thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of such reactions, often results in serious misunderstandings and may even culminate in misconceptions. In many cases, literally, apples are compared with horse apples and this uncritical approach is clearly not productive. This chapter therefore considers the chemistry behind redox processes, from the basic concept of redox activity itself, to oxidation states, redox mechanisms, and some of the mysteries surrounding thermodynamic and kinetic control. These aspects of oxidation and reduction are of paramount importance in the context of biological redox chemistry, where such reactions are limited to a mostly aqueous environment and are often driven or even governed by enzymatic processes. At the same time, the conceptual difference between purely chemical, directly reacting oxidants and reductants on the one hand, and pro- and antioxidants, which often operate indirectly via signalling pathways, on the other, is emphasized.
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Notes
- 1.
As there are no negative Roman numbers, one should refrain from using them to denote oxidation states and employ Arabic numbers instead.
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Burkholz, T., Jacob, C. (2014). A Word on Redox. In: Jacob, C., Kirsch, G., Slusarenko, A., Winyard, P., Burkholz, T. (eds) Recent Advances in Redox Active Plant and Microbial Products. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8953-0_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8953-0_4
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