A substance or enzyme that breaks down or destroys cells or tissues from a different species.
From Greek hetero- (different) + lysis (breaking down) + -in (chemical substance), describing a protein that causes cell destruction across species. The term emerged in early 20th-century immunology.
A heterolysin is like a cellular key that fits different locks—it's an antibody or enzyme from one species that can break open cells from a completely different species, which happens in allergic reactions!
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