Some hold that enormousness is the correct word in that sense and that enormity can only mean âoutrageousnessâ or âatrociousness.â enormity occurs regularly in edited writing with the meanings both of great size and of outrageous or horrifying character, behavior, etc.
home / medterms medical dictionary a-z list / antitoxin definition Medical Definition of Antitoxin Antitoxin: An antibody produced in response to and capable of neutralizing a specific biologic toxin such as those that cause diphtheria, gas gangrene, or tetanus. Antitoxins are used prophylactically and therapeutically.
Antibodies (also called immunoglobulins and gammaglobulins) are produced by white blood cells. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that respond to a specific antigen (bacteria, virus or toxin). Every antibody has a special section (located at the tips of the Y branches) that is sensitive to a specific antigen and can bind to it. When an antibody binds to a toxin it becomes an antitoxin. The binding generally disables the toxin's chemical action. When an antibody binds to a virus particle's outer coat or the cell wall of a bacterium it can stop the virus or bacterium's movement through cell walls.