The destruction or dissolution of a cell membrane, causing the cell to break open and die.
From Greek 'cyto-' (cell) + 'lysis' (breaking down, from 'lysis', to loosen). The term became standard in biology in the late 1800s as microscopy revealed cellular destruction.
Cytolysis is how your white blood cells defeat infections and how some toxins kill harmful bacteria—but it's also what happens when cells are put in pure water and burst from the pressure.
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