Lysed

Lyse is a biological term meaning to rupture or break open a cell, releasing its contents. The past tense and past participle form is lysed. The related noun lysis refers to the act or process of breaking down a cell or tissue. In laboratory and medical contexts, lysing cells is a common method to obtain intracellular components such as DNA, RNA, proteins, or organelles.

Lysis can occur through several mechanisms. Osmotic lysis happens when cells are exposed to a hypotonic solution, causing water influx and membrane rupture. Detergent or chemical lysis uses agents that disrupt lipid membranes or denature proteins, often employed to create cell lysates for molecular analyses. Enzymatic lysis employs enzymes such as lysozyme to degrade cell walls (notably bacterial cells) or proteases to disrupt structural proteins. Mechanical lysis involves physical disruption, as in sonication, French press, or grinding. In practice, the choice of method depends on the biological material and the intended downstream use, balancing yield with preservation of target molecules.

In medical and research contexts, lysed samples are collectively termed lysates. For example, bacterial, plant, or animal cells may be lysed to study intracellular enzymes or to extract nucleic acids. Hemolysis refers specifically to the lysis of red blood cells, which can occur in various physiological or pathological situations.