Free radical biology is the study of the interaction of free radicals with biological material.
Free radicals are atoms or molecules with at least one unpaired electron.
The study of free radicals has become of extreme interest because of the role of free radicals in a large number of diseases and pathological states. As examples, cancer, aging, heart a ttack, stroke, diabetes, and Lou Gehrig's disease all have a free radical component to their mechanism of injury. The use of free radical modulators in the prevention and treatment of these diseases is under close investigation at this time including clinical trials. Research in free radical biology is quite interdisciplinary. It is a broad area of research with many opportunities.