After a respiratory burst, which chemicals are released?

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Multiple Choice

After a respiratory burst, which chemicals are released?

During a respiratory burst, phagocytes generate reactive oxygen species to kill ingested microbes. NADPH oxidase transfers electrons to oxygen, creating superoxide radicals. Superoxide dismutase then converts some of this into hydrogen peroxide, and myeloperoxidase can use H2O2 to form hypochlorous acid. Thus, the chemicals released are the reactive oxygen species superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (with downstream products like HOCl). The other options don’t fit because histamine and heparin are granule mediators released in allergic/inflammatory responses, oxygen and carbon dioxide are simply gases involved in respiration, and nitric oxide plus cytotoxic enzymes come from other antimicrobial pathways rather than the classic respiratory burst producing ROS.

During a respiratory burst, phagocytes generate reactive oxygen species to kill ingested microbes. NADPH oxidase transfers electrons to oxygen, creating superoxide radicals. Superoxide dismutase then converts some of this into hydrogen peroxide, and myeloperoxidase can use H2O2 to form hypochlorous acid. Thus, the chemicals released are the reactive oxygen species superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (with downstream products like HOCl). The other options don’t fit because histamine and heparin are granule mediators released in allergic/inflammatory responses, oxygen and carbon dioxide are simply gases involved in respiration, and nitric oxide plus cytotoxic enzymes come from other antimicrobial pathways rather than the classic respiratory burst producing ROS.

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