Cryobiology

Cryobiology, the study of the effects of extremely low temperatures on living organisms, generally for the purpose of preserving living material for future use. Cryobiologists use liquid nitrogen to achieve temperatures far below normal freezing temperature, allowing cells to cease working but to remain alive and unchanged for long periods; once thawed, the cells resume their normal work almost instantly. Frozen tissues, including skin, eye corneas, and blood, are stored in banks, allowing ready access to physicians in need of performing a skin graft, for example.