noun
- Plural of hemolysin; proteins or toxins that cause the destruction of red blood cells by rupturing their membranes.
Usage: technical; biology/medicine; also spelled hemolysins in U.S. English
Examples
- Bacterial haemolysins are virulence factors that help pathogens evade the immune system.
- The haemolysins produced by Streptococcus pyogenes can damage host cell membranes.
- Researchers studied how haemolysins from different bacterial species vary in their mechanisms.
- Some haemolysins are used in laboratory tests to identify and classify bacteria.
- The toxins include various haemolysins that contribute to the severity of the infection.