<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFree radicals are atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron, making them unstable and reactive. They can damage cells, proteins, and DNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The body has mechanisms to protect itself from free radicals, but these mechanisms can become overwhelmed. This overexertion can happen when too much free radical production or the body\u2019s antioxidant defenses are not working correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oxidative stress has been linked to several diseases, including Parkinson\u2019s disease. Parkinson\u2019s disease is a condition that affects movement caused by the death of neurons in the substantia nigra. Neurons in this region contain high levels of neuromelanin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is thought that oxidative stress may contribute to the death of these neurons because neuromelanin can act as a scavenger of free radicals, which means that it can help to protect neurons from damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neuromelanin is also found in other brain regions, such as the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher cognitive functions, such as decision-making and planning. It has been linked to certain psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects a person\u2019s ability to think, make decisions, and interact with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is thought that neuromelanin may play a role in the development of this disorder because it can affect neurotransmission. Neurotransmission is the process by which nerve cells communicate with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This type of melanin is also found in the eyes. It is thought to play a role in protecting the eyes from damage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
3 Unique Locations of Neuromelanin - Melanin is a natural pigment that gives color to our skin, hair, and eyes. It is produced by special cells in the skin called melanocytes. Melanin helps protect us from the harmful effects of sunlight, including ultraviolet (UV) rays. People with more melanin in their skin have excellent protection […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[49,64,67,56],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1967"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1967"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1986,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1967\/revisions\/1986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2plustopicals.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}