Definition of cryoprotectant in English:
cryoprotectant
noun ˌkrʌɪəʊprəˈtɛkt(ə)ntˌkrīōprəˈtektənt
Physiology A substance that prevents the freezing of tissues, or prevents damage to cells during freezing.
Example sentencesExamples
- It is currently believed that effective cryoprotectants for proteins or enzymes in solution are excluded from the immediate vicinity of these biological molecules.
- Diplolepis overwinter in a prepupal stage; they are freezing-intolerant and develop cryoprotectants that lower their supercooling points.
- Cold hardiness includes both widespread tolerance to freezing and extreme supercooling ability, as well as unusual responses in a few species, such as lack of typical cryoprotectants.
- Chemicals called cryoprotectants reduce ice formation but have toxic effects that introduce their own problems.
- This makes it possible for scientists to extract water from the embryo and replace it with a cryoprotectant like ethylene glycol, which prevents the embryo's 40,000 to 50,000 cells from being damaged by ice crystals during freezing.