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Dictionary » H » Hemolysis

Hemolysis

Definition

noun

The lysis or the breaking open of red blood cell (erythrocyte) causing the release of hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid.


Supplement

Hemolysis has several causes: examples are exposure of erythrocytes to toxins and poisons, bacterial haemolysins, immune reactions like specific complement-fixing antibodies, hypotonicity, alteration of temperature, treatments such as hemodialysis, etc.

In microbiology, the hemolytic reactions of certain microorganisms such as streptococci on blood agar plates can be used to identify or classify them. For instance, Streptococcus pneumoniae forms alpha hemolysis, Streptococcus pyogenes forms beta hemolysis, and Enterococcus faecalis displays gamma hemolysis on blood agar plates.


Word origin: from the Greek hemo-, meaning blood + -lysis, meaning to break open.
Related forms: hemolytic (adjective).

Also spelled as: haemolysis.

Synonym: hematolysis.
See also: hemolysin.


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what is the relationship between hemolysis & molecular weigh

... does that mean that a substance w/ a high lipid water partition coeffecient will be able to go through the cell membrane more easily and cause hemolysis faster? also i know that an increase in molecular weight is related to an increase in the size of the molecule and the larger the molecule ...

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by Fa23
Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:35 pm
 
Forum: Physiology
Topic: what is the relationship between hemolysis & molecular weigh
Replies: 1
Views: 947

identifying 2 unknown bacterias

... Streptococcus or Enterococcus. The test results you report for that bacteria are for tests designed to ID enterics. For this one you need to do hemolysis, bacitracin, bile esculin, etc...

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by Cat
Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:00 pm
 
Forum: Microbiology
Topic: identifying 2 unknown bacterias
Replies: 1
Views: 1699

Re:

... that use it to obtain iron from red blood cells. Thus, on standard blood agar these bacteria (e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes ) virtually always cause hemolysis, since it does not contain free iron. Some other hemolysins are targeted against other cell types (e.g. leukocytes) and their expression patterns ...

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by triton
Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:53 am
 
Forum: Microbiology
Topic: Black coloration of sheep blood agar
Replies: 3
Views: 3100

Black coloration of sheep blood agar

... that use it to obtain iron from red blood cells. Thus, on standard blood agar these bacteria (e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes ) virtually always cause hemolysis, since it does not contain free iron. Some other hemolysins are targeted against other cell types (e.g. leukocytes) and their expression patterns ...

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by biohazard
Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:27 am
 
Forum: Microbiology
Topic: Black coloration of sheep blood agar
Replies: 3
Views: 3100

Black coloration of sheep blood agar

Hi I wonder if someone can tell me what causes black coloration of sheep blood agar caused by bacterial grow? At first I though it was an alpha hemolysis, but I think it is not since it should be yellow and green, not black. the black coloration I have observed looked like that: http://microculture.tumblr.com/post/1665565422/bacillus-anthracis-this-image-depicted-numbers-of ...

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by triton
Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:19 am
 
Forum: Microbiology
Topic: Black coloration of sheep blood agar
Replies: 3
Views: 3100
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