Describing something that causes the destruction or breaking apart of red blood cells.
From Greek erythro- (red) + cyto- (cell) + -lytic (causing dissolution or breakdown). The -lytic suffix comes from lysis and became standard in medical terminology to describe processes that break down cellular structures.
Snake venom often contains erythrocytolytic proteins that destroy red blood cells from the inside out, which is why some snake bites cause victims to literally bleed internally. Medical researchers study these venoms to understand how to protect against them.
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