autolysis
the breakdown of plant or animal tissue by the action of enzymes contained in the tissue affected; self-digestion.
Origin of autolysis
1Other words from autolysis
- au·to·lyt·ic [awt-l-it-ik], /ˌɔt lˈɪt ɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby autolysis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use autolysis in a sentence
The products of this autolysis are carried by the lymphatics to healthy tissues and thus may spread the infection.
Only in tumors in which autolysis is active intra vitam does the method exert any effect.
This process of self-digestion is known technically as autolysis.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology | Charles Bradfield MorreyThis disintegration may be due to a process of autolysis, which sets in only after the egg has extruded the two polar bodies.
The Organism as a Whole | Jacques LoebSuch a constituent may be responsible for phagocytosis and autolysis in the organs undergoing absorption.
The Organism as a Whole | Jacques Loeb
British Dictionary definitions for autolysis
/ (ɔːˈtɒlɪsɪs) /
the destruction of cells and tissues of an organism by enzymes produced by the cells themselves
Origin of autolysis
1Derived forms of autolysis
- autolytic (ˌɔːtəˈlɪtɪk), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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