Cell death

thumb|upright=1.6|Structural changes of cells undergoing necrosis and apoptosis

thumb|right|A Diagram of the process of autophagy, which produces the structures autophagosomes (AP), and [[autolysosomes (AL)B Electron micrograph of autophagic structures AP and AL in the fat body of a fruit fly larvaC Fluorescently labeled autophagosomes AP in liver cells of starved mice]]

thumb|Lysis of a chlorella [[algae cell membrane and cell wall following infection with the chlorovirus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1]] Lysis ( ; from Greek 'loosening') is the breaking down of the membrane of a cell, often by viral, enzymic, or osmotic (that is, "lytic" ) mechanisms that compromise its integrity. A fluid containing the contents of lysed cells is called a lysate. In molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology laboratories, cell cultures may be subjected to lysis in the process of purifying their components, as in protein purification, DNA extraction, RNA extracti

biological processes that result in permanent cessation of all vital functions of a cell

any type of cell death eliciting an immune response