sensitization /sen′sitīzā″shən/ [L, sentire + Gk, izein, to cause] , 1. reaction in which specific antibodies develop in response to an antigen. Allergic reactions result from excess sensitization to a foreign protein. Sensitization can be induced by immunization, in which a pathogen that has been made noninfectious is introduced into the body. See also active sensitization. 2. a photodynamic method of destroying microorganisms through the use of substances, such as fluorescent dyes, that absorb light and emit energy at wavelengths destructive to the organisms. 3. (Nontechnical) anaphylaxis. −sensitize, v.
