Antitoxin: An antibody capable of destroying microorganisms including viruses and bacteria.
An antitoxin provides passive immunity. For example, if a child gets whooping cough (diphtheria), an antitoxin prepared in horses against diphtheria may be useful in treatment. The antitoxin can only be of short-term value because the antibodies against diphtheria were made by the horse and the child is just the passive recipient of the antibodies.
The antitoxin is directed against a toxin, one of a number of poisons produced by certain plants, animals, and bacteria.
The term "toxin" is frequently used to refer specifically to a particular protein produced by some higher plants, animals and pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. A toxin typically has a high molecular weight (as compared to a simple chemical poison), is antigenic (elicits an antibody response), and is highly poisonous to living creatures.
The word "toxin" comes from the Greek "toxikon" = arrow poison.
Library > Literature & Language > Dictionary ( ăn ' tÄ“-tÅk ' sÄn, ăn ' tÄ«- ) n. An antibody formed in response to and capable of neutralizing a specific toxin ...
–noun 1. a substance, formed in the body, that counteracts a specific toxin . 2. the antibody formed in immunization with a given toxin , used in treating certain ...
Antitoxin: An antibody capable of destroying microorganisms including viruses and bacteria. An antitoxin provides passive immunity. For example, if a child gets whooping ...
antitoxin /an·ti·tox·in/ (an´te-) (an´ti-tok″sin) antibody produced in response to a toxin of bacterial (usually an exotoxin), animal (zootoxin), or plant ...
Brief and Straightforward Guide: What Is an Antitoxin? ... We would love to know what you think! Please let us know if you have any comments or questions ...