1. Plural of hemolysin; substances (such as toxins or antibodies) that cause the destruction or lysis of red blood cells, releasing hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid.
Usage: technical; biology/medicine; plural form

Examples

• Certain bacterial hemolysins can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in infected patients.
• The laboratory tested the serum for hemolysins to diagnose the hemolytic disease.
• Streptococcal hemolysins are virulence factors that help the bacteria evade the immune system.
• Researchers studied how different hemolysins affect blood cell integrity.
• The presence of hemolysins in the culture medium indicated active bacterial toxin production.