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. 2021 Aug 13;22(16):8724. doi: 10.3390/ijms22168724

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Selective action of molecular hydrogen (H2). Superoxide anion (O2−) is produced from oxygen that leaks from the mitochondrial electron transfer system. O2− is further converted into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, when water molecules are irradiated with ionizing radiation or H2O2 is irradiated with UV light, hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are produced. H2 can scavenge and detoxify the large amounts of ·OH produced in the mitochondria and other organelles by converting it into water molecules (·OH + H2 → H· + H2O).