define cytolysis
Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: cytolysis(Noun) The pathological breakdown of a cell due to the bursting of the cell membrane caused by osmosis. Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Cytolysis, or osmotic lysis, occurs when a cell bursts due to an osmotic imbalance that has caused excess water to move into the cell. It occurs in a hypotonic environment, where water moves into the cell by osmosis and causes its volume to increase to the point where the volume exceeds the membrane's capacity and the cell bursts.