The immune system uses the lethal effects of oxidants by making the production of oxidizing species a central part of its mechanism of killing pathogens; with activated phagocytes producing both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. These include superoxide , nitric oxide (•NO) and their particularly reactive product, peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Although the use of these highly reactive compounds in the cytotoxic response of phagocytes causes damage to host tissues, the non-specificity of these oxidants is an advantage since they will damage almost every part of their target cell. This prevents a pathogen from escaping this part of immune response by mutation of a single molecular target.