The most prominent random damage theory of aging — free radical theory of aging
The most prominent random damage theoryof aging was proposed by Denham Harman in 1955. This theory postulates that free radical reactions, primarily oxygen-free radicals, cause slowly accumulating damage to nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids that eventually leads to loss of their specific functions in the cell. This damage is caused primarily by the production of oxygen-free radicals as a by-product of normal metabolism in the mitochondria.
