Taxol

A trademark used for the drug paclitaxel.

For more information on taxol, visit Britannica.com.

Taxol is a drug used to treat ovarian cancer. It "freezes" cancer cells early in the process of cell division. When the cells are unable to divide, they eventually die. Taxol is obtained from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, a gymnosperm that grows in the Pacific Northwest. Because the Pacific yew is a small tree that grows slowly and is not found in abundance, researchers have synthesized taxol.

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(tăk'sôl')

Trademark for drug developed from the toxin of specific types of yew trees and bushes and used to kill dividing cells, especially tumor cells.