354 Walter Gordy 



in amino acids and proteins by x-irradiation have been tentatively identified 

 from the fine structure of their microwave resonance patterns (3). The infor- 

 mation pertinent to the present discussion is that organic radicals produced 

 by physical forces such as heat or irradiation outside the body can be taken 

 into the body through the processes of eating, smoking, or normal breathing, 

 or even by diffusion through the skin. Once inside the body, these radicals 

 may themselves penetrate the cells or they may be converted to other radicals 

 which do so. A radical containing an odd number of electrons must, in effect, 

 meet and react with another radical before its free valence or uncancelled 

 electronic moment is nullified. If it reacts with a normal organic molecule 

 (which has an even number of electrons), another radical is produced. In 

 fact, it is just this odd character which suggests that a lone radical might start 

 a significant chain of events within a cell. 



Many types of radicals which have been detected by microwave resonance 

 are stabilized mainly within solid particles of matter. Normal chewing and 

 mixing of food with saliva would tend to destroy them. This destruction may 

 not always be complete, however. We have made tests which show that ordinary 

 chewing of charred toast, beef, and other foods does not entirely kill the reso- 

 nance signal of the radicals. Extremely small solid particles carrying radicals 

 may diffuse into the tissues of the skin, stomach, or lungs where they would 

 gradually dissolve and perhaps bring about damaging reactions as their radicals 

 are released. Furthermore, these radicals are possibly stable in certain organic 

 solvents which dissolve the solid cages and 'float' the individual radicals 

 into the tissue. Such a solvent might assist in the production of cancer without 

 being a primary cause of it. Strong resonances, like that shown in Fig. 1 for 

 tobacco tar, are found for wood tar, coal tar, and other tars. H. Shields and 

 the author have dissolved tars in organic solvents including benzene, acetone, 

 and croton oil, and have found that the resonance of the tar radical remained 

 strong. The role of agents such as croton oil, which are not themselves carcino- 

 genic agents but which augment the effects of certain carcinogenic agents, 

 may be that of facilitating the entrance of carcinogenic radicals into the body. 



Radiobiology experiments (4) indicate that much of the effect of ionizing 

 radiations on the cells themselves may be indirect; that is, irradiation produces 

 a free radical in one part of the cell which later migrates to a more vital part 

 of the cell where it may react to bring about a mutation. Alternately, the first 

 radical formed may react to form a second radical, or a third, which finally 

 causes the mutation. In particular, OH and OOH radicals have been postulated 

 as important intermediaries in radiation damage. Of course a mutation might 

 be brought about by a so-called direct hit, but indirect effects also appear to 

 have significant consequences. We are proposing an extension of the indirect 

 effects to include cases where the primary irradiation occurs entirely outside 

 the injured body, in our laboratory, microwave evidence has been obtained 

 to indicate that hydrocarbon radicals, R, produced by irradiation, are often 

 converted to peroxide radicals, ROO, where they come in contact with oxygen. 

 In the tissue such radicals might be further converted to the OH or OOH 

 radicals, already under suspicion by radiobiologists. 



The striking evidence which prompted this communication is the abundant 

 paramagnetic resonance data for the existence of free radicals in many agents 



