hemolysis

[hi-mol-uh-sis]

noun

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

hemolysis

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.

Other Word Forms

• hemolytic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hemolysis¹

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