Hydroxyl in chemistry stands for a molecule consisting of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom connected by a covalent bond. The neutral form is a hydroxyl radical and the hydroxyl anion is called a hydroxide. When the oxygen atom is linked to a larger molecule the hydroxyl group is a functional group (HO¯ or ¯OH) . Hydroxide (OH anion) is a polyatomic ion with a charge of negative one. Hydroxide anion is a base and is used to make solutions or compounds basic.

Hydroxyl group

The term hydroxyl group is used to describe the functional group ?OH when it is a substituent in an organic compound. Organic molecules containing a hydroxyl group are known as alcohols (the simplest of which have the formula C_nH_2n+1?OH).

Hydroxyl radical

The hydroxyl radical, ·OH, is the neutral form of the hydroxide ion. Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive and, as a consequence, short-lived; however, they form an important part of radical chemistry.

Hydroxyl Free Radicals cause oxidative cells, particularly erythrocytes (or red blood cells). These free radicals cause damage to DNA, Lipids, and Proteins. Glucose-6 Phosphate Dehydroganase (G6PD) is an enzyme the body produces to destroy OH-, before it starts damaging the cells. People with G6PD deficiency are protected against malaria because the plasmodium (the parasites that cause malaria) cannot survive in the damaged blood cells. On the other hand, people with G6PD deficiency are prone to Jaundice and Kidney Disease.

See also

• Hydronium
• Oxide
• Hydroxy

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