Zelldurchbruch

Zelldurchbruch is the term used to describe the rupture or breakdown of a cell’s envelope, resulting in loss of membrane integrity and the mixing of intracellular and extracellular contents. In many contexts, the phrase is used interchangeably with cell lysis, though in German the more common term for this process is Zelllyse. Zelldurchbruch can occur in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and is a key event in both natural and experimental settings.

Causes and mechanisms of Zelldurchbruch include several routes:

- Osmotic lysis, caused by abrupt changes to the surrounding solution that create excessive water influx.

- Mechanical disruption, such as homogenization or physical injury.

- Chemical lysis, using detergents, solvents, or specific enzymes that destabilize membranes.

- Viral lysis, where a lytic virus disrupts the cell during replication.

- Immunological lysis, in which cytotoxic immune cells or complement-mediated damage compromises the membrane.

Consequences and applications vary by context. In biology and medicine, Zelldurchbruch is a fundamental concept for understanding cell death, infection, and cytotoxicity. In laboratory settings, intentional cell lysis is employed to extract proteins, nucleic acids, or organelles for analysis. While the term Zelldurchbruch is used in German texts, Zelllyse remains the more widely adopted standard term in many scientific sources.