Oxygen and Living Processes : An Interdisciplinary Approach

The field of oxygen study is immense. No single work on the subject can be comprehensive, and this volume makes no such claim. Indeed, coverage here is selective and the selection is somewhat personal. However, the choice of topics is vast There are chapters on the history of oxygen, oxygen in the universe, the biochemistry of oxygen, and clinical uses of oxygen. An alternate title could have been, "Some things you always wanted to know about oxygen, but didn't know where to find them easily." Some information in this wide-ranging work can not be found elsewhere. This book is intended not only for specialists, but also for nonspecialists engaged in or curious about any field of oxygen study, particularly if they wish to know more about other fields of oxygen. Thus, those who are interested in oxygen and are historians, astronomers, chemists, geochemists, evolutionists, biochemists, physiolo­ gists, pathologists, or clinicians will find here much of extreme value. It is intended to be read and understood at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level. This volume is divided into four parts. The first constitutes the background for Parts II and III, and the last integrates the preceding material with an overall perspective on oxygen in living organisms.

I: General Aspects of Oxygen.- 1 Perspective on the History of Oxygen and Life.- I. Ideas Preceding the Discovery of Oxygen.- II. Events Leading up to the Discovery of Oxygen.- III. The Discovery of Oxygen and Its Significance.- IV. Oxygen Terminology.- V. Early Biological and Medical Research with Oxygen.- VI. Measurements of Atmospheric Oxygen and High Altitude Effects.- VII. Developments in the Nineteenth Century.- VIII. Pasteur and Later Developments.- IX. Intracellular Oxidation.- X. Conclusion.- 2 Historical Introduction to the “Free Radical Theory” of Oxygen Toxicity.- 3 Reactive Forms of Oxygen.- I. Atomic Oxygen.- II. Dioxygen Species (Singlet Molecular Oxygen).- III. Trioxygen (Ozone).- IV. Superoxide.- V. Summary.- 4 The Origin and Astronomical History of Terrestrial Oxygen.- I. The Astronomical Scenario.- II. The History of Terrestrial Oxygen.- III. Summary.- 5 Significance of Oxygen on Earth.- I. Geochemical Oxygen Cycle.- II. Ozone.- III. Beginning of Evolution on Earth.- IV. The First Cells.- V. Oxygen Production.- VI. Development of Eukaryotes and Multicellular Organisms.- VII. Possible Future Events.- VIII. Summary.- II: Biology of Oxygen.- 6 Photosynthetic Oxygen Production.- I. Photosynthesis and Evolution.- II. Overview of Modern Photosynthetic Mechanisms.- III. The Formation of Oxygen.- IV. Conclusion.- 7 Oxygen Toxicity in Unicellular Organisms.- I. Introduction.- II. Factors Affecting Responses to Increased Oxygen Tensions.- III. Kinetics.- IV. Mechanisms of Oxygen Toxicity.- V. Some Miscellaneous Effects of Oxygen.- VI. Anaerobiosis and Mechanisms of Resistance to OxygenToxicity.- VII. The Use of Increased Oxygen Tensions as an Antimicrobial.- VIII. Conclusions.- 8 Oxygen Exchange in the Metazoa.- I. Transport of Oxygen by Diffusion.- II. Gas Exchange Organs: Structural Features.- III. Gas Exchange Organs: Functional Organization.- IV. External Medium: Air Versus Water.- V. Internal Medium: Carriage of Oxygen by Blood.- VI. Respiratory Organs of Vertebrates and Their Models.- VII. Models for Gas Exchange: Qualitative Description.- VIII. Models for Gas Exchange: Quantitative Analysis.- IX. Application of Model Analysis in Animal Experiments.- X. Real Systems and Model Analysis.- XI. Summary.- 9 Facilitated Oxygen Diffusion by Oxygen Carriers.- I. Steady-State Partial Deoxygenation of Myoglobin in Active Tissue.- II. Myoglobin in Tissue Oxygen Delivery.- III. Leghemoglobin-Mediated Oxygen Delivery in Plants.- IV. Myoglobin-Facilitated Oxygen Diffusion.- V. Oxygen Delivery in Saline-Perfused Muscle.- VI. Oxygen Gradients in Isolated Cardiac Cells.- VII. Oxygen Gradients in Isolated Hepatic Cells.- VIII. Oxygen Transfer to Mitochondria and Bacteroids.- IX. Oxymyoglobin as an Electron Acceptor.- X. Myoglobin-Associated Iron Protein.- XI. The Myoglobin Molecule.- 10 The Reaction of Oxygen with Cytochrome Oxidase: The Role of Sequestered Intermediates.- I. Introduction.- II. A Possible Mechanism for Oxygen Reduction.- III. Large-Scale Structural Aspects.- IV. Short-Range Structural Features.- V. Summary.- 11 Biochemical Aspects of Oxygen Toxicity in the Metazoa.- I. Molecular Mechanisms of Oxygen Toxicity 211.- II. Oxygen Toxicity in Brain Tissue.- III. Factors Influencing Susceptibility to Oxygen Poisoning in Vivo.- IV. Concluding Remarks.- 12 Antioxidant Defenses.- I. Introduction.- II. Mechanisms of Protection.- III. Evidence for the Role of Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms.- IV. Summary.- 13 Superoxide Radical and Superoxide Dismutases.- I. Some Biological Sources of Superoxide.- II. The Potential Consequences of Superoxide Production.- III. Assays for Superoxide Dismutases.- IV. Varieties of Superoxide Dismutases.- V. Mechanisms of Enzymatic Superoxide Dismutation.- VI. The Physiological Role of Superoxide Dismutases.- III: Human Aspects of Oxygen.- 14 Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- I. Terminology and Relative Concepts 273.- II. The Lung as a Target Organ of Oxygen Toxicity.- III. Clinical Manifestations of Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- IV. Pulmonary Function in Oxygen Toxicity.- V. The Pulmonary Pathology of Oxygen Toxicity.- VI. Oxygen Toxicity and the Pulmonary Surfactant System.- VII. Oxygen Toxicity and Pulmonary Infection.- VIII. Biochemical Mechanisms of Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- IX. Sequence of Injury in Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- X. Pathogenesis of Oxygen Toxicity.- XI. Oxygen Tolerance.- XII. Modification of Oxygen Toxicity.- XIII. Summary.- 15 Oxygen in Closed Environmental Systems.- I. Clinical Manifestation of Central Nervous System Oxygen Toxicity.- II. Etiology.- III. Prevention of CNS Oxygen Toxicity.- IV. Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- V. Clinical Manifestations and Indices of Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- VI. Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity during Spacecraft and Aircraft Operations.- VII. Pathology of Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- VIII. Etiology for Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity.- IX. Effects of Hyperoxia on Other Organ Systems.- X. Oxygen Paradox.- XI. Hypoxia.- XII. Summary.- 16 Oxygen Tension in the Clinical Situation.- I. The Historical Background.- II. Oxygen Tension and Radiotherapy.- III. Tissue $${P_{{O_2}}}$$ in Surgical Conditions.- IV. Oxygen Toxicity.- V. Hyperbaric Oxygen.- VI. Pediatric Application.- VII. Current Practice and Problems.- VIII. Future Developments.- IX. Conclusion.- 17 Retinopathy of Prematurity and the Role of Oxygen.- I. Pathogenesis of the Retinopathy of Prematurity.- II. Newborn Animal Model of RLF.- III. Monitoring of Blood Oxygen Levels.- IV. Summary.- IV: Concluding Remarks.- 18 Oxygen: An Overall Biological View.- I. Hypoxia.- II. Hyperoxia.- III. Normoxia.- IV. Practical and Clinical Considerations.- V. Summary.- Inde.