ANTITOXIN Meaning and
Definition
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Antitoxin is a substance that works to counteract or neutralize the harmful effects of toxins in the body. It is a specific type of antibody produced by the immune system in response to the presence of toxins or poisonous substances, such as those produced by bacteria or certain plants and animals.
When toxins enter the body, they can cause damage by interfering with normal cellular function and leading to various symptoms or illnesses. Antitoxins are designed to bind to these toxic substances, preventing them from exerting their harmful effects and enabling the immune system to effectively eliminate them.
In a medical context, antitoxins are often used as treatments for specific types of poisoning or infections caused by toxin-producing bacteria. They can be administered through injection, either as a preventive measure or as a therapeutic intervention, to protect against or counteract the detrimental effects of a specific toxin.
Antitoxins can be produced using various strategies, including isolating them from the blood of individuals who have recovered from toxin-related illnesses, or by engineering them using genetic engineering techniques. These specialized antibodies are highly specific, targeting a particular toxin or group of toxins, and they play a crucial role in the body's defense against toxins by neutralizing their effects and aiding in their elimination.
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A substance in the serum which binds and neutralizes toxin; it consists, according to the side-chain theory, of receptors which have been produced in excess and thrown off into the body fluids.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for ANTITOXIN
Etymology of ANTITOXIN
The word "antitoxin" is composed of two parts: "anti-" and "toxin".
1. "Anti-" is a prefix derived from the Greek word "antí" (ἀντί), meaning "against". This prefix is commonly used in English to indicate opposition, negation, or reversal.
2. "Toxin" comes from the Latin word "toxicum", which refers to a poison. The Latin term was derived from the Greek word "toxicōn" (τοξικόν), meaning "poison for arrows". This Greek word originated from "toxon" (τόξον), which translates to "bow".
Combining the prefix "anti-" and the word "toxin" creates "antitoxin", which essentially means "against" or "opposing a poison".
Similar spelling words for ANTITOXIN
- antitoxic,
- thyro-antitoxin,
- anti-antitoxin,
- endotoxin,
- antitypical,
- antitauon,
- Thyreo-antitoxin,
- Streptococcus-antitoxin,
- antitrust,
- antitypic,
- auto-antitoxin,
- anatotitan,
- Thyro-antitoxine,
- antitumour,
- antithetic,
- toxin-antitoxin,
- antitumor,
- antido,
- antitank,
- Antitoxine.
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