Bacteriotoxic

/ˌbæktɪrioʊˈtɑːksɪk/ adjective

Definition

Poisonous or toxic to bacteria.

Etymology

From bacterio- + toxic (from Latin 'toxicum,' poison). Emerged in medical literature by the late 1800s as chemists identified substances that were lethal to bacterial cells.

Kelly Says

Lysozyme in your tears is bacteriotoxic—it punches holes in bacterial cell walls—which is why your eyes have a built-in antibacterial defense system that works 24/7!

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