hemolysis

American  

[hi-mol-uh-sis] / hɪˈmɒl ə sɪs /

noun

1. the breaking down of red blood cells with liberation of hemoglobin.

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hemolysis Scientific  

/ hĭ-mŏl′ĭ-sĭs,hē′mə-lī′sĭs /

1. The destruction of red blood cells, caused by disruption of the cell membrane and resulting in the release of hemoglobin. Hemolysis is seen in some types of anemia, which can be either inherited or acquired, as by exposure to toxins or by the presence of antibodies that attack red blood cells.

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Other Word Forms

• hemolytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hemolysis

First recorded in 1885–90; hemo- + -lysis

Example Sentences

The specialist sent off a half-dozen more tubes of blood, looking for some of the rare causes of hemolysis.

From New York Times • May 16, 2023

It is likely that the red blood cell will undergo hemolysis, where they swell up with water and burst.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

How would the drug have to be formulated, in terms of osmolarity, to prevent red blood cells from undergoing hemolysis?

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

His 2010 death at age 50 was so mysterious that it took the coroner’s office almost 3½ years to determine the cause: acute severe hemolysis triggered by trichloroethylene exposure.

From Slate • Nov. 5, 2015

Hypotonic hemolysis: Expected results: red blood cell destruction.

From On Handling the Data by Mayfield, M. I.