Autolysis (biology)

Autolysis is when the cells in our bodies start to break down by themselves. Kind of like when you have a piece of bread and it starts to get old and moldy, but this happens inside our bodies!

You know how our body is made up of tiny things called cells? Well, sometimes these cells can die naturally and when that happens, they start to break apart. As they break apart, they release wee things called enzymes that can break down other cells nearby.

Imagine if you had a bunch of toys and you didn't need them anymore, so you started taking them apart. Then, you found out that some of the parts you took out could break down other toys. That's kind of what's happening inside our bodies but with cells!

Usually, our body has a way of cleaning up these broken cells so that they don't cause any harm. But sometimes, this process can get out of control and the broken cells can cause damage to our body.