Also, the laser can injure healthy cells.

Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated (the "target tissue") by damaging their genetic material, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide.

A suntan starts with an inflammation, which can injure cells and tissues in the skin.

If not properly treated, experts say, this combined pain causes a buildup of toxic substances that further injure cells, Dr. Benjamin said, causing more pain and inflammation in a cascading action.

In the body, free radicals injure cells by reacting with guanine, one of the four basic components of DNA, and transforming it into 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8oxodg for short).

In all of these disorders, cells release a poison that floods areas of the brain, injuring or killing other cells, possibly by exciting them to death.

Aminoglycoside-induced production of reactive oxygen species may also injure cells of the cochlea.

However the toxin does its work - and scientists still do not know for sure - the result is that it can injure cells that line blood vessels, plugging them with blood clots.

Many researchers believe these soluble spheres or protofibrils are injuring cells in a wide variety of diseases.

Its dysfunction releases excessive amount of oxidants which, in turn, injure hepatic cells.