Lipid oxidation is a chemical process that causes fats and oils to deteriorate over time, resulting in rancidity. It occurs through a free radical chain reaction initiated when lipids react with oxygen, heat, light, metals or enzymes. The mechanism involves initiation, where a lipid radical is formed; propagation, where a lipid peroxyl radical forms and extracts a hydrogen atom from another lipid; and termination, where two lipid peroxyl radicals combine to form a non-radical product. Lipid oxidation damages cell membranes and DNA and produces undesirable flavors and aromas in food.