Cytotoxicity

When a cell releases certain nasty chemicals that break up the bad stuff. Generally two types of chemical are released:

• One is a cytolytic one, like perforin, which causes the cell to lyse, or split apart.
• The other is a granzyme, a protease, which actually destroys (apoptoses) the cell. This is because if the cell was just to lyse, any viral contents would be free to go off and wreak havoc elsewhere. The apoptosis kills the viruses too.