- Cryopreservation (Cryo: icy cold or frost; Preservation: Storage without deterioration) refers to the storage of living material at ultra-low temperatures below -135°C without losing its vitality in a manner that stops biological time and aging.
- Normally, freezing is lethal to most organisms/living cells due to the damaging effect of the freezing process, particularly ice formation, changes in osmolarity, and oxidation process.
- Cryopreservation reduces the damaging effect of freezing by using a specialized procedure and cryoprotectants.
- Various living materials including cells and tissues have been successfully preserved using cryopreservation procedures.
- The optimum cryopreservation protocol depends on the complexity of the biological material and its downstream applications.
- In general isolated cells are relatively easy to preserve with better recovery rates than multicellular tissues and organs.
- Natural freezing and revival of some organisms can also be seen in nature. Examples include Wood frog and Gall fly larvae.
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