Lyse

To lyse is to cause the disintegration of a cell by rupturing its cell membrane, releasing its contents. This process can occur due to various factors, including viral infection, osmotic imbalance, enzymatic action, or exposure to certain chemicals. Lysing is essential in biological processes like programmed cell death (apoptosis) and in laboratory techniques used to extract cellular components or analyze cellular structures. The term often refers to the destruction of cells specifically, but can also describe the breakdown of other structures such as organelles.

Lyse meaning with examples

• The virus, once inside the host cell, began to replicate rapidly. Eventually, the sheer number of new viral particles caused the cell membrane to lyse, releasing the progeny viruses to infect more cells. This cascading effect is characteristic of many viral infections, often culminating in widespread cellular destruction and disease.
• In the laboratory, researchers added a special detergent to lyse the bacteria cells. This allowed them to isolate the bacterial DNA for further analysis. The detergent disrupts the cell membrane structure, leading to the release of the genetic material and other cellular contents.
• During an infection, the complement system works to lyse the bacteria that are attempting to infect the host. This is done by forming a pore into the bacterial membrane and causing the cell to become osmotically unstable. The cell will swell and ultimately lyse.
• Cancer cells often exhibit uncontrolled growth and replication. Radiation or chemotherapy can be employed to lyse cancerous cells, thereby halting the spread of disease and promoting tumor regression through the destruction of harmful cells and their contents.
• Upon adding hypotonic solution to a cell, the process to lyse the cells occurs. The cell will take in water and swell. This is due to the water potential being higher in the extracellular environment than it is inside the cell. Consequently, the cell bursts