This throwback to the 60's (?) is a pretty funny cartoon. It's of a free radical, which is a molecule that has split from a bond leaving it with an odd, unpaired electron. Because of this, free radicals are very unstable, often attacking the first available molecule in order to capture the needed electron to gain stability. This can set off a chain reaction of new free radicals being formed, which can eventually totally disrupt a living cell.
In the cartoon, you can see the free radical in the background (orbitals shaking I think....) and the lost electrons protesting in the front. The formation of the free radicals has caused a molecular riot!
From Chemistry Cartoons by T. McCracken
Posted by Jared Liston
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