Hemolysins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of substances that cause the destruction of red blood cells by breaking down their membranes
2. Agents capable of lysing erythrocytes, releasing hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid
3. Molecules that disrupt the integrity of red blood cell membranes, leading to hemolysis and associated consequences

Etymology: "Hemolysins" is simply the plural of "hemolysin," and the word is a modern scientific coinage built from two parts. The first, "hemo-," comes from the Ancient Greek "haima," meaning blood, which passed into English as "haemo-" and was later simplified to "hemo-" in American usage. The second part, "-lysin," comes from "lysis," the Greek word for loosening or dissolving, with the suffix "-in" added as is common in names for proteins and similar substances. Put together, a hemolysin is a substance that dissolves blood, which is exactly what the term describes.