Table of Contents

I. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL REASONS FOR DESTRUCTION IN LIVING SYSTEMS1. Cells and Organisms as Open Systems2. Role of Reactive Species in Destructions3. Oxidation and Reduction of Biological Material

II. PROTECTION AGAINST CYTOTOXIC COMPONENTS AND DESTRUCTIONS4. Disturbances in Energy Supply5. Mechanisms of Cell Death6. Immune Response and Tissue Damage7. Acute-Phase Proteins and Additional Protective Systems

III. AGEING PROCESSES AND DEVELOPMENT OF PATHOLOGICAL STATES8. Aging in Complex Multicellular Organisms9. Cell and Tissue Destruction in Selected Disorders10. Organ Damage and Failure11. Conclusions

Appendix: Some Basics About Redox Reactions in Living Systems

About the Author

Jürgen Arnhold was an Associate Professor in the Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics at Leipzig University in Germany. He currently researches the underlying chemical processes during oxidative stress response in biological systems and investigates adaptive mechanisms against stress.