autolysis
au·tol·y·sis
noun \-ə-səs\plural au·tol·y·ses \-ə-ˌsēz\
Definition of AUTOLYSIS
: breakdown of all or part of a cell or tissue by self-produced enzymes—called also self-digestion
—au·to·lyt·ic \ˌȯt-əl-ˈit-ik\ adjective
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