bacterial toxin
Germ-produced venom
A bacterial toxin is a poisonous substance produced by bacteria that damages host cells or disrupts normal body functions.
Some toxins cause disease symptoms directly—botulinum toxin paralyzes muscles, cholera toxin triggers severe diarrhea.
Bacterial toxins divide into exotoxins, which bacteria secrete, and endotoxins, which release when bacterial cell walls break down.
The illness was caused by a bacterial toxin in contaminated food.
- endotoxinBacterial wall toxin
- exotoxinPoison bacteria secrete
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- virulenceCapacity to cause disease
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
poison · anthrax · botulinum · nerve agent · cholera · sepsis · fever · diphtheria · tetanus · microbe · contamination · lethal dose · food poisoning · food contamination · immune response · disease · E. coli · salmonella
bacterial toxinantitoxin
Toxin-neutralizing antibody
probiotic · growth factor · nutrient · vitamin · prebiotic
bacterial, bacteria, bacterium, bacteriology, bacteriological, bacteriologist, antibacterial, toxin, toxic