In cryopreservation, scientists freeze living cells, tissues, and biological samples at extremely low temperatures to preserve them—usually at −196°C. Here’s what happens: at that temperature, all biological activity stops completely. The cells don’t die, though. They enter a kind of suspended state. With the right technique, you can thaw them later and they’ll survive.
The tricky part is ice. When water inside cells freezes, it forms crystals that can puncture the cell membrane and destroy everything. You prevent this two ways: control how fast the temperature drops, and add protective compounds to the freezing solution. Get both right, and the cells make it through intact.
Cryopreservation Process
The process works for all kinds of biological material, cells, eggs, sperm, tissues, embryos before implantation, even whole organs. You drop them to temperatures cold enough to stop time, but the cells stay viable. When you thaw them, they pick up where they left off.
Most labs use dry ice or liquid nitrogen to reach these temperatures. Liquid nitrogen is the workhorse here since it sits right at −196°C.
Cryopreservation Steps
The complete procedure steps involved in preserving the obtained biological samples are as follows:
Pick your material carefully – Check the volume, density, pH, and shape. Make sure nothing’s damaged before you start. These details matter more than you’d think.
Add protective agents – Mix in compounds like glycerol, sugars, salts, or specific serums. These lower the freezing point and let you cool things down more gradually. Slower cooling means less crystal formation, which means cells survive.
Freeze it the right way – You can’t just throw samples in the freezer. You ease cells into the cold while bathing them in protective agents, using different methods depending on what you’re preserving. The goal is avoiding shock.
Store in liquid nitrogen – First, hold samples at −80°C in a standard freezer for 5 to 24 hours. This step stabilizes them. Then transfer to liquid nitrogen storage vessels where they’ll sit at −196°C indefinitely.
Thaw with precision – When you’re ready to use the material, warm it at a controlled rate. Rush this step and ice crystals form during the temperature shift, tearing cells apart from the inside.
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Cryopreservation of Embryos
During fertility treatment, doctors use hormones to trigger egg development. They extract the eggs and fertilize them in a lab. This process usually creates more embryos than you need for a single transfer to the uterus.
You can freeze the extra embryos and use them later. If the first transfer doesn’t work, or if you want another child down the road, you’ve got embryos ready to go. No need to pay for another full IVF cycle—you skip straight to the transfer.
Oocyte Cryopreservation
In the vitrification method, the eggs freeze rapidly so that there is less time available for the formation of ice crystals. Labs now use cryoprotectants with higher concentrations of compounds that work like antifreeze.
The oocyte is first placed in a bath containing a low concentration of anti-freeze like cryoprotectant. Some sucrose is added to help draw some water out of the egg. The egg is then shifted to high concentration anti-freeze cryoprotectant for very few seconds and then immediately transferred to liquid nitrogen. When the egg is thawed and used for the transplantation into the woman.
Cryopreservation of Sperm
The semen sample is mixed with a solution, which provides protection during freezing and thawing. Followed by transfer to plastic vials, which are then kept in liquid nitrogen for freezing.
This process ensures the chances of conception in the future. The sperm can also be deposited, froze, and stored in cryobanks for less than a year. These sperms can later be used for certain infertility treatment procedures.
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Benefits of Cryopreservation
There are many benefits of the cryopreservation technique. These include:
1. Fertility treatments
2. Minimal space and labour required
3. Safety from genetic contamination
4. Safeguards genetic integrity of valuable stains
5. Safeguards the germplasm of endangered species
6. Biological samples can be preserved for a longer period of time
7. Protects the samples from disease and microbial contamination
8. Prevents genetic drift by cryopreservation of gametes, embryos, etc
FAQs
Which chemical is used in cryopreservation techniques?
Liquid nitrogen is used in the cryopreservation technique.
What is cryopreservation temperature?
Cryopreservation may be defined as the maintenance of biologics at sub-freezing temperatures, below −80°C and typically below −140°C.
What is the function of cryopreservation?
Cryopreservation helps the cells to survive freezing and thawing. The ice formation inside the cells can break the cell membrane. This can be prevented by regulating the freezing rate and carefully choosing the freezing medium.
Why liquid nitrogen is used for cryopreservation?
The use of liquid nitrogen is an effective long-term method for storing viable samples while maximizing energy efficiency and providing an environmentally friendly approach to cryopreservation. This innovative freezing method ensures that cells remain viable, and indefinite storage is possible.
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