Biochemical Consequences of Lipid PeroxidationLipid peroxides formed by abberant oxidation reactions of unsaturated lipid material have been identified as important degradative biomolecules involved in the cellular aging process (1), in oxygen toxicity (2), in air pollution oxidant damage to cells (3), and a host of other degenerative biochemical transformations. The mechanism of formation of these lipid peroxides and their biochemical role in observed changes in cellular proteins, enzymes, and nucleotides, lipofusion and ceroid pigment formation, cellular aging, membrane alteration, cross-linking of collagen, and drug/chemical-induced pathologies constitute the focus of this report. The Production and Biochemical Significance of Lipid PeroxidesThe formation of lipid peroxides involves the reaction of biochemical oxidants with polyunsaturated lipids. This process as diagrammed in Figure 1 is most commonly mediated through free radical intermediates (4).Free radical intermediates occur in almost all biological systems (5, 6). The radicals can be produced by three types of processes: 1) thermal homolysis of bonds, 2) one-electron redox reactions, 3) high energy radiation, and photolysis (7). These three processes are illustrated below.