the.com/antitoxin
The body's hostage negotiator, trained to recognize one specific kidnapper's face.
means An antibody or antiserum that specifically neutralizes a particular toxin, whether produced naturally by the immune system or given as a treatment after exposure to one.
from Built from Greek anti- ('against') plus 'toxin,' which traces back to toxikon, 'poison for arrows,' from toxon, 'bow.' The word 'antitoxin' itself emerged in the late 1800s alongside the new science of serum therapy, when researchers discovered that blood serum from an animal exposed to a toxin — diphtheria, most famously — could be used to treat or protect others, giving the ancient idea of poison its precise medical opposite.
- origin
- antibody raised against a specific toxin
- classic use
- diphtheria antitoxin saved countless 1900s children
- limitation
- neutralizes toxin already loose, not the infection itself
- source
- often harvested from immunized horses or humans