What is an oxidation redox reaction?
In an oxidation redox reaction, a substance is oxidized when it has fewer electrons at the end of the reaction than it had at the start. These electrons are transferred to other molecules or substances that participate in this reaction. Oxygen is a molecule that is able to receive electrons from most other substances, and thereby oxidize those substances. In doing so, the molecule of oxygen is reduced to a variety of different chemical species, and ultimately to water. Because oxygen is a strong oxidizing agent, redox reactions that involve oxygen are able to release a large amount of energy. The chemical energy derived from redox reactions with oxygen is what drives all aerobic metabolism. In addition to oxygen, many biologically important substances are strongly oxidizing. Some of these are far more chemically reactive than oxygen itself, and, when harnessed, can be used for the production of energy, synthesis of biomolecules, chemical defense against pathogens and cellular signaling
