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Glite Dictionary
cytolytic

cytolytic

1 9.9
Causing cells to break open and die
  • adjective
  • /ˌsaɪtəˈlɪtɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : citolítico
  • Cytolytic cells are crucial for the immune system's ability to eliminate cancerous cells.

Examples

  • The cytolytic response is essential for fighting off viral infections effectively.

  • In addition, early IFN-I signaling drives the acquisition of CD8 T cell cytolytic function 61, 62, 65.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Researchers study cytolytic activity to develop new therapies for autoimmune diseases.

Synonyms

cytopathic
vscytolytic
  • Specialized
8.9

Causes damage to living cells, often because of a virus

is stronger causing dissolution or destruction of cells
cytopathogenic
vscytolytic
  • Specialized
9.9

Causing cells to become damaged or die, often after infection

is about breaking cells down completely rather than causing general pathology

Surface Forms

cytolytic positive

Morphology

cytolytic = lytic (opaque) = cyto + lytic + cyto

Built from technical combining forms ('cyto-' and '-lytic') that are specialized biomedical morphemes and not transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word cytolytic comes from Greek parts cyto- meaning 'cell' and -lytic meaning 'to break' or 'destroy'. So, something described as cytolytic breaks down or kills cells, which is why scientists use the word for treatments, proteins, or viruses that destroy cells.