What causes cell damage?
Oxygen deprivation is a big problem that can occur due to things like a low concentration of oxygen in the air, or impaired blood flow.
A lack of key nutrients like glucose, deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals, or general nutritional imbalances can starve the cell of materials it needs to survive. Humans can adapt to short term imbalances, but in the longer term, nutrient deficiencies or excess can lead to long term issues for cell health.
Physical agents like heat, physical injury, extreme cold, electric shocks, intense air pressure (like being underwater, or in a space vacuum), or radiation can damage cells.
Chemical agents can be problematic for a cell too, including things like harmful heavy metals and poisons, or infectious agents such as viruses or bacterial toxins.
Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is another huge stressor that can impact energy production by mitochondria, impacting the functioning of the cell. Oxidative stress can naturally increase with age, and additional oxidative stress can be caused by things like radiation, drug metabolism, poor diet and so forth. .
If the cell damage is severe, cells may end up dying. The body can detect any faulty cells and instigate a targeted removal of the cell known as apoptosis, i.e., “programmed cell death”.