cytotoxic
Definition
- Adjective:
- Toxic to cells: Describes substances, agents, or effects that are poisonous or destructive to living cells, often used in the context of medicine and biology.
Usage
- The word "cytotoxic" is primarily used as a scientific and medical adjective to describe drugs, chemicals, or immune responses that cause cell damage or death.
- It is typically used before a noun it modifies (e.g., cytotoxic drugs, cytotoxic effects).
Examples
- Adjective:
- Chemotherapy involves the use of cytotoxic drugs to kill cancer cells.
- The study measured the cytotoxic effects of the new compound on healthy tissue.
- Some lymphocytes have cytotoxic functions in the immune system.
Advanced Usage
- "Cytotoxic T cell" (or Cytotoxic T lymphocyte): A type of white blood cell that can kill infected or cancerous cells.
- Cytotoxic T cells are crucial for the body's defense against viruses.
Variants and Related Words
- Cytotoxicity (noun): The quality or degree of being cytotoxic; cell-killing potential.
- Researchers tested the compound's cytotoxicity in the lab.
Synonyms
- Cell-killing
- Cytocidal (specifically causing cell death)
Antonyms
- Cytoprotective (protecting cells from damage)
- Nontoxic (not poisonous)
Adjective
-
of or relating to substances that are toxic to cells
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