PMLS History Of Medical Technology In Global Context Practice Test

Antitoxins in serum neutralize specific bacterial toxins, giving passive immunity by supplying ready-made antibodies. Emil von Behring showed that serum from animals immunized against diphtheria and tetanus contained these protective antibodies. When that serum was transferred to other animals—or to humans in severe cases—it neutralized the toxins and prevented disease. This demonstrated a practical way to treat toxin-mediated infections and laid the groundwork for serum therapy and the broader concept behind vaccines. Behring’s work in 1890 marked a turning point in immunology, illustrating how antibody-containing serum could confer protection against disease. (Pasteur advanced vaccines for other diseases, Landsteiner is known for blood groups, and Roentgen for X-rays, but the serum antitoxin breakthrough specifically belongs to Behring.)