When fertilised eggs are frozen, how come they don't die?
Answers:
Cryopreservation is the method in which fertilized eggs (as well as many other cell types) are frozen. The cells are usually suspended in a 10% dimethyl sulfoxide and 90% fetal bovine serum solution and frozen down in a cryo tank containing liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen is a great method for preserving cells and eggs because its immensely cold temerature prevents the cells from dividing further and from "aging" in a sense.
Because the temperature chosen is very specific so that it is not enought o destoroy any hormones or nuclei in the cells, or anything else need for its growth. It is only just cold enough to inhibit the growth enough so that nothing further happens and the cell doesn't change away from the mother.
Normally, when cells or tissues are frozen, ice crystals form inside the cells, which can expand, which breaks the cells open, killing them. The conditions in which embryos are frozen have been developed so that ice doesn't form inside, partly due to the medium that the embryos are in, and also because they are frozen down very quickly, using liquid nitrogen.
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