Antitetanolysin

/ˌæntiˌtɛtənˈɑːlɪsɪn/ noun

Definition

An antibody or substance that works against tetanolysin, which is a toxin produced by tetanus bacteria.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + tetanolysin (the toxin produced by tetanus bacteria). This highly specialized medical term emerged with the development of serum therapy and immunology in the late 1800s.

Kelly Says

This word shows how specific modern medicine can get—scientists identified not just the disease (tetanus) but the exact toxin it produces, then created substances to fight that specific toxin at the molecular level.

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