出典:Wiktionary
cryo- + preservation, from Ancient Greek κρύος (krúos, “icy cold, chill, frost”).
cryopreservation (countable かつ uncountable, 複数形 cryopreservations)
出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/06/12 05:10 UTC 版)
Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as (typically) 77 K or −196 °C (the boiling point of liquid nitrogen). At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped. However, when cryoprotectant solutions are not used, the cells being preserved are often damaged due to freezing during the approach to low temperatures or warming to room temperature.