Is oxygen toxic/poisonous?

Question

I read somewhere that oxygen is, in fact, poisonous, and it “oxidises” your cells, burning you slowly, which is why anti-oxidants are important.

Is there any truth to this?

Thanks!

p.s. not a debate or anything, just want info on the negative/positive effects of oxygen on organic matter and properties of oxygen

p.p.s will this go in chemistry or biology???

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

2 things here: Is oxygen toxic, and what are antioxidants?

Everything is toxic/poisonous to something at some amount.

Oxygen is not toxic to mammals at our atmospheric amount. 100% is toxic to humans, but not immediately. Our lungs like the amount of oxygen in the air, but they can function with different amounts. It takes time for our lungs to be saturated and do harm. People do breathe 100% in certain situations.

Now, the act of using oxygen, our fuel, does cause free radicals. Free radicals are what is harmful. Using anything would produce free radicals, so there is no way around that. Antioxidants protect against free radicals.