cryopreservation
Meaning of cryopreservation: Cryopreservation cools cells, tissue, or organs to very low temperatures to halt biological activity and store them for later use.
Definition of cryopreservation
Cryopreservation is the process of cooling biological material, such as cells, tissue, sperm, eggs, embryos, or whole organs, to very low temperatures, often using liquid nitrogen, in order to slow or halt the chemical and biological processes that would otherwise cause it to deteriorate. Specialized solutions are typically added beforehand to protect cells from damage caused by ice crystal formation during freezing.
Cryopreservation is used across many areas of medicine and biology, including storing blood and reproductive cells for future use, preserving tissue samples for later laboratory analysis, and keeping donor organs viable for a limited period between recovery and transplantation.
Because extremely low temperatures effectively pause most biological activity, properly cryopreserved material can often be stored for extended periods, though successfully returning it to a functional state afterward, a process called thawing or rewarming, requires carefully controlled conditions specific to the type of material involved.
Used in a sentence
Embryos were cryopreserved for potential use in a future treatment cycle.
Good to know
Successful cryopreservation depends as much on the protective solutions and controlled cooling and thawing process used as on the low storage temperature itself, since improperly frozen or thawed material can be damaged despite adequate cold storage.
Word origin
Where “cryopreservation” comes from
Formed from Greek kryos, meaning icy cold or frost, combined with preservation, from Latin praeservare, meaning to guard beforehand.