Freezing of living cells
It can be calculated that a living cell will survive more than 5000 years at -196/sup 0/C. This ability to essentially stop biological time has important implications in medicine and agriculture, and in biological research. In medicine the chief implications are in the banking of transplantable tissues and organs and in in vitro fertilization. In agriculture the applications stem in part from the role of frozen embryos in amplifying the number of calves produced by high quanlity cows. The problem is how can cells survive both the cooling to such very low temperatures and the return to normal temperatures. The answers involve fundamental characteristics of cells such as the permeability of their surface membranes to water and solutes. These characteristics determine whether or not cells undergo lethal internal ice formation and other response during freezing and thawing. 27 refs., 12 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5268154
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8508116-1; ON: DE85016297
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. national summer school on cryobiology and freeze-drying, Toulbuchin, Belgaria, 1 Aug 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CELL CULTURES
CRYOBIOLOGY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ERYTHROCYTES
FREEZING
FROGS
GLYCEROL
MEN
MICE
OVA
PANCREAS
SURVIVAL CURVES
THAWING
ALCOHOLS
AMPHIBIANS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGY
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
GLANDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MALES
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
560201* - Thermal Effects- Cells- (-1987)
550300 - Cytology