Lyse

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈlaɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause the breakdown or disintegration of biological cells, frequently by using specific enzymes or chemicals, in order to release their internal components
2. To induce the rupture or decomposition of cellular membranes, often achieved through enzymatic action, allowing for the extraction of cellular material
3. To facilitate the breakdown of cells through enzymatic or chemical means, thereby releasing their contents for further analysis or use

Etymology: "Lyse" is a back-formation from "lysis," the Greek-derived term for the breaking apart of a cell or other body. "Lysis" comes from the Greek "lysis," meaning "a loosing" or "a release," from the verb "lyein," "to loosen or untie." Because "lysis" ends in what English speakers took to be a noun ending, people later stripped that ending off and created a verb from the remaining stem. The logic reverses the usual pattern. Most English verbs are the source of their nouns, as with "walk" and "walking," but here the noun came first and the verb was derived from it. The new verb describes the process that "lysis" names: causing a cell to rupture so its contents spill out and can be collected.

Synonyms: break down, dissolve