Provided is a method of lysing a cell or a virus using a free radical. The method includes: applying an electric field to a mixture of a metal ion, a peroxide, and a cell or virus solution to increase the free radical generation, thereby lysing a cell or a virus. In the present method, cell lysis may be efficiently performed using a low electrical energy (several mV to several V). When the present method is applied to a microsystem, cell lysis can occur at a desired time and in a desired space by controlling the electrical energy, thus being suitable to realize a lab-on-a-chip (LOC).