BACTERIOLOGY IN A NUTSHELL. 



Liberation 

 of Toxins. 



Hemolysis. 



Amboceptor- 



Complement. 



Ehrlich's 

 Conception of 

 Antitoxin. 



group is greater than that between the toxic- 

 group and the remainder of the cell, it will 

 split off and combine with the receptor of 

 the body cell ; thus toxins are liberated— set free 

 to carry on their work of destruction within the 

 body. The bacteria proper are disposed of by a 

 splitting-up action of the blood known as 

 "hemolysis." Two bodies are present in the 

 blood. One body called the complement is 

 normally present in the serum, the other is an 

 intermediary body known as an amboceptor or 

 fixiator. When the affinity between this group 

 and a group contained in the invading micro- 

 organism is stronger than the affinity to the 

 remainder of its own cell it will split off and 

 join the other body, (the amboceptor), forming 

 an avenue for the passage of the complement 

 which destroys the cell. The phagocytes are 

 then supposed to remove the dead invaders,, 

 and absorb or ingest them. 



Antitoxin, Ehrlich explains in the following 

 manner: When a useless haptophore 'attaches 

 itself to an important receptor, it becomes neces- 

 sary for the cell to form new receptors of a 

 similar nature. When prolonged and repeated 

 invasions of useless haptophores takes place an 

 excessive production of receptors is formed, 

 which finding no function detach themselves 

 from the cells to form in the tissue juices new 

 groups of molecules which have an especial 

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