oxy-, -oxia, -oxic

In medicine, the absence or almost complete absence of oxygen: One kind of anoxia can cause death which results from strangulation when an animal cannot breath in any oxygen from the air.

1. Relating to the deficiency of oxygen in tissues and organs in animals: Dr. Thompson diagnosed the death of Jane's grandmother as being anoxic encephalopathy, resulting from a lack of oxygen in the brain and causing brain damage.
2. Concerning a great lack of oxygen: When there is a high concentration of salt in certain bodies of water an anoxic condition can exist in the water.

1. An agent that inhibits oxidation and thus prevents rancidity of oils or fats, or the deterioration of other materials through oxidative processes: An antioxidant can be used to prevent the spoilage of stored food.
2. One of many widely used synthetic or natural substances added to a product to prevent or delay its deterioration by the action of oxygen: Rubber, paints, vegetable oils, and prepared foods commonly contain antioxidants. Assisting the cell’s enzyme protectors are the antioxidants vitamins E and C and beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

These vitamins absorb or attach to the free radicals, preventing them from attacking normal tissues. Current therapies containing antioxidants consist mainly of oral vitamins and food additives.

The prevention of having a chemical substance of an object being changed by the addition of oxygen: Mrs. Smith wondered if it was possible to keep bananas from turning brown by antioxidation.

A substance that prevents oxidation or reactions produced by peroxides, free radicals, or oxygen; antioxidant: Antioxygens are used to inhibit the deterioration or damaging of rubbers, plastics, and soaps.

Lack of oxygen to the brain: Cerebral anoxia often causes sensory distortions and hallucinations and sometimes cerebral anoxia is used to explain features of the near-death experience.

A near-death experience (NDE) consists of experiences of people after they have been pronounced clinically dead, or who have been very close to death.

Typical features of the near-death experiences are an OBE (Out of Body Experience), a fully conscious experience in which the person's center of awareness appears to be outside the physical body, a life review, a tunnel experience, a light, coming to a boundary (marking death), seeing dead friends, and relatives, experiencing a loving or divine presence, and making a choice (or being told) to return.

Occasionally near-death experiences can be frightening and distressing, and often have profound effects on the person's later life.

The process of depriving a chemical compound of its oxygen: Deoxidation of metal can take place in an enclosed chamber with heat when a limey slag is used to take away the sulphur.

To remove oxygen from its chemical combination; deoxygenate: The very high temperature of the sun can be used as a force to deoxidize carbonic acid.

An excessive acidity of the blood: The cause of Jane's illness was caused by hyperoxemia and could be treated with a strict diet and medication.

A condition characterized by abnormally high levels of oxygen in the blood and tissues: Hyperopia can also occur when there is an excess amount of oxygen in a person's organs, and this condition can lead to oxygen toxicity.

1. A condition characterized by abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood and tissues: One form of hypoxia is altitude sickness in which the deficiency of oxygen in the blood and tissues is caused by being in very high altitudes for too long.
2. In ecology, a condition in which inadequate environmental oxygen is available to an organism.

The "Dead Zone" off the Louisiana coast mapped during the last week of July, 2006, is reported to be 6,662 square miles; or about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Chief Scientist for Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Studies reported on Friday. The low oxygen waters extended from near the Mississippi River to the Louisiana-Texas border.

Agricultural runoff in the vast area drained by the Mississippi River contributes most of the nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that feed a population boom of algae. As the algae die, they fall to the bottom. Their decay consumes oxygen faster than currents can bring it down from the surface.

1. The process of a substance combining with oxygen: Sometimes normal objects in shallow water become altered or even unidentifiable through the course of oxidation.
2. The loss of electrons in an atom with an accompanying increase in positive valence: Oxidation is a reaction when an element's atoms release electrons which then increase the state of oxidation of the element.

Any binary compound of oxygen: An oxide is a chemical that is composed of oxygen and another substance. especially found in iron.

An oxide is a chemical compound in which oxygen is the negative radical.

1. To convert a substance into an oxide; combine with oxygen: Jack wondered that if the cork dried out and shrank, would air then be permitted to enter the bottle and oxidize the wine?
2. To undergo or cause to undergo oxidation; lose or remove electrons: Silver doesn't rust or oxidize when exposed to air, and is therefore not especially reactive.

1. An agent that oxidizes: Hydrogen or peroxide are two different kinds of oxidisers or oxidants.
2. In space technology, a substance, usually containing oxygen, that supports the combustion reaction of rocket fuel: Both the fuel and oxidizer constitute a propellant.