Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,135,296,695 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

toxin
(redirected from tetanus toxin)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
tox·in  (tksn)
n.
A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms and is capable of causing disease when introduced into the body tissues but is often also capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies or antitoxins.

toxin
Noun
1. any of various poisonous substances produced by microorganisms and causing certain diseases
2. any other poisonous substance of plant or animal origin

toxin  (tksn)
A poisonous substance, especially one produced by a living organism. Toxins can be products or byproducts of ordinary metabolism, such as lactic acid, and they must be broken down or excreted before building up to dangerous levels. Toxins can facilitate survival, as with snake venom that kills or immobilizes prey, or cyanide produced by some plants as a defense against being eaten. Bacterial toxins can sometimes be neutralized with antitoxins. Compare antitoxin.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.toxintoxin - a poisonous substance produced during the metabolism and growth of certain microorganisms and some higher plant and animal species
ricin, ricin toxin - a toxic protein extracted from castor beans; used as a chemical reagent; can be used as a bioweapon; "one milligram of ricin can kill an adult"
poison, poisonous substance, toxicant - any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism
animal toxin, zootoxin - a toxin resembling bacterial toxins in its antigenic properties that is found in the fluids of certain animals
bacterial toxin - any endotoxin or exotoxin formed in or elaborated by bacterial cells
cytotoxin - any substance that has a toxic effect on cells
endotoxin - a toxin that is confined inside the microorganisms and is released only when the microorganisms are broken down or die
exotoxin - a toxin that is secreted by microorganisms into the surrounding medium
hepatotoxin - any toxin that affects the liver
nephrotoxin - any toxin that affects the kidneys
neurolysin, neurotoxin - any toxin that affects neural tissues
phytotoxin, plant toxin - any substance produced by plants that is similar in its properties to extracellular bacterial toxin

See: toxin agent.
Translations

toxin [ˈtɔksɪn] ntoxina
toxin [ˈtɔksɪn] ntoxine f
toxin [ˈtɔksɪn] nGift nt, Giftstoff m
toxin [ˈtɔksɪn] ntossina


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.