noun
- Plural of alexin; substances in blood serum that help destroy bacteria and other pathogens (now called complement).
Usage: archaic or technical; immunology; largely replaced by the term 'complement' in modern medical usage
Examples
- Early immunologists studied alexins as part of the body's natural defense system.
- The discovery of alexins contributed to our understanding of how the immune system works.
- Alexins were found to be present in the blood serum of various animals.