autolysis

American  

[aw-tol-uh-sis] / ɔˈtɒl ə sɪs /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. the breakdown of plant or animal tissue by the action of enzymes contained in the tissue affected; self-digestion.

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autolysis British  

/ ɔːˈtɒlɪsɪs, ˌɔːtəˈlɪtɪk /

noun

1. the destruction of cells and tissues of an organism by enzymes produced by the cells themselves

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Other Word Forms

• autolytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of autolysis

First recorded in 1900–05; auto- ¹ + -lysis

Example Sentences

Cells deprived of oxygen start digesting themselves in a process called autolysis.

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2023

“As the bottle continues to age, the yeast will go through a process called autolysis, the breakdown of yeast cells, which produces nutty and meaty flavors,” Kelewae says.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2013

The process is called " autolysis" and the unknown causal agent a " lysin."

From Time Magazine Archive

Substances rich in the vitamine apparently yield the latter more readily if they have first been subjected to autolysis or if the extracting fluid is acidified.

From The Vitamine Manual by Eddy, Walter H.

How utterly unmechanical a living body is, at least how far it transcends mere mechanics is shown by what the chemists call "autolysis."

From The Breath of Life by Burroughs, John