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Related Concept Videos

Radical Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones01:17

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids02:04

Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids

Diols are compounds with two hydroxyl groups. In addition to syn dihydroxylation, diols can also be synthesized through the process of anti dihydroxylation. The process involves treating an alkene with a peroxycarboxylic acid to form an epoxide. Epoxides are highly strained three-membered rings with oxygen and two carbons occupying the corners of an equilateral triangle. This step is followed by ring-opening of the epoxide in the presence of an aqueous acid to give a trans diol.
Peroxisomes01:24

Peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are specialized organelles present in fungi, plant, and animal cells. It can vary in number, size, morphology, and activity depending on the type of tissue and the nutritional state of the cell. For example, cells with active lipid metabolism, such as adipocytes, neurons, and hepatocytes, have more peroxisomes than other cells in the body. Besides their primary role in breaking down complex organic molecules, peroxisomes can also synthesize specific macromolecules and participate in...
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide02:44

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide

Alkenes are converted to 1,2-diols or glycols through a process called dihydroxylation. It involves the addition of two hydroxyl groups across the double bond with two different stereochemical approaches, namely anti and syn. Dihydroxylation using osmium tetroxide progresses with syn stereochemistry.
Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbon-Containing Systems01:19

Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbon-Containing Systems

Phase I biotransformation reactions are integral to drug metabolism, predominantly involving oxidative, reductive, and hydrolytic transformations. Chief among these are oxidative reactions, which enhance the hydrophilicity of xenobiotics and introduce polar functional groups to facilitate their elimination from the body.
Oxidation reactions are fundamental in aromatic carbon-containing systems. An example is the hydroxylation of phenobarbital, a process that transforms it into...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Induction and Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Sleeping Beauty Transposon-Transfected Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
10:00

Induction and Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Sleeping Beauty Transposon-Transfected Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Published on: December 11, 2020

A polycyclic terpenoid that alleviates oxidative stress.

T Bosak1, R M Losick, A Pearson

  • 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 26, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Researchers discovered novel tetracyclic isoprenoids, called sporulenes, in Bacillus subtilis spores. These compounds enhance spore resistance to oxidative stress, suggesting they indicate ancient aerobic environments and stress.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Induction and Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Sleeping Beauty Transposon-Transfected Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
10:00

Induction and Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Sleeping Beauty Transposon-Transfected Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Published on: December 11, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Organic Geochemistry
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Polycyclic terpenoid lipids like hopanes and steranes are crucial biomarkers for ancient biology and Earth's history.
  • The biosynthesis of some polycyclic lipids requires molecular oxygen, raising questions about their evolutionary origins in response to environmental or metabolic stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential evolutionary origins of polycyclic lipids in response to environmental or metabolic stresses, particularly oxygen.
  • To identify novel lipid biomarkers in bacterial spores with potential applications in paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

Main Methods:

  • Identification and characterization of tetracyclic isoprenoids in Bacillus subtilis spores.
  • Analysis of the cyclization reaction pathway for sporulene biosynthesis.
  • Assay of spore resistance to reactive oxygen species in the presence of sporulenes.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of novel tetracyclic isoprenoids, termed sporulenes, in Bacillus subtilis spores, formed by a chemically favorable cyclization of polyprenes.
  • Demonstration that sporulenes significantly increase spore resistance to reactive oxygen species.
  • The B. subtilis cyclase involved in sporulene formation may represent an ancient enzymatic pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Sporulenes represent a new class of bacterial lipid biomarkers with a direct physiological role in oxidative stress resistance.
  • Geostable derivatives of sporulenes in sediments can serve as direct indicators of past oxidative stress and aerobic conditions.