haemolysin
Definition
Noun: A substance, typically a toxin or antibody, that causes the destruction of red blood cells (eryththrocytes) by lysing (breaking open) their cell membranes, resulting in the release of hemoglobin.
Usage
The term is used primarily in medical, biological, and toxicological contexts to describe agents that damage red blood cells. - The bacterium's virulence is partly due to its production of a potent haemolysin. - Researchers are studying the haemolysin to understand its mechanism of action.
Advanced Usage
- Alpha-haemolysin / Beta-haemolysin: Specific classifications of bacterial haemolysins based on the pattern of red blood cell lysis they cause on blood agar plates.
- Staphylococcus aureus can produce both alpha- and beta-haemolysins.
Variants and Related Words
- Hemolysin: The American English spelling variant.
- Haemolysis (noun): The process or event of red blood cell destruction.
- The toxin caused widespread haemolysis in the patient.
- Haemolytic (adjective): Describing something that causes or relates to haemolysis.
- It is a haemolytic toxin.
Synonyms
- Erythrocytolysin: A more technical synonym.
- Hemolysin (US spelling).
Notes on Different Meanings
The word has a highly specific, technical meaning in life sciences. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses.
Noun
-
any substance that can cause lysis (destruction) of erythrocytes (red blood cells) and the release of their hemoglobin
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