E-Book Overview
Cryobiology is the study of living things at low temperatures. Refrigeration or freezing prevents the decay of living things, but science has recently begun to explore whether cold not only prevents decay, but also preserves life. An interdisciplinary subject that combines fundamental research on organisms adapted to natural freezing stresses and emerging areas of applied biotechnology and biology, cryobiology is starting to play an increasingly important role in medicine, agriculture, horticulture and forestry, as well as the conservation of endangered or economically important plant, animal and microbial species. Life in the Frozen State is a comprehensive review of the effects of freezing on living organisms. It evaluates how this knowledge can be applied to benefit humanity through advances in healthcare and conservation. A major feature of the book is the combining of fundamental theory and practice across a wide range of species and applications. This provides a unique opportunity to explore the subject in a multidisciplinary context. Historically, some of the most exciting advances in low temperature research have come from cross-discipline interaction, and this book provides a timely stimulus for further advances in cryobiology.
E-Book Content
LIFE FROZEN STATE in the
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LIFE FROZEN STATE in the
Barry J. Fuller Royal Free and University College London London, U.K.
Nick Lane Royal Free and University College London London, U.K.
Erica E. Benson University of Abertay Dundee Dundee, U.K.
CRC PR E S S Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C.
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Life in the Frozen State Cover Images 1. Left-hand panel: Fjord scene – Iceland. (Courtesy E. Benson). 2. Right-hand panel: Top right – Cryomicroscope image of rat embryo during slow cooling. (Courtesy of L. McGann and J. Acker). 3. Second from top: Cryomicroscope image of initial extracellular ice formation in a suspension of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis. (Courtesy of Dr. John Morris). 4. Third from top: Cryomicroscope image of the unicellular alga Micrasterias americana surrounded by extracellular ice; different ice crystals have different colors due to the optics used (differential interference contrast). In some cells intracellular ice has formed – evident as the cell interior appearing black. (Courtesy of Dr. John Morris). 5. Fourth from top: The unicellular alga Micrasterias rotata surrounded by extracellular ice, the cell interior has blackened due to the formation of intracellular ice. (Courtesy of Dr. John Morris). Image 2 was provided by Professor Locksley McGann, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 8249-114 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R8. Images 3, 4 and 5 were provided courtesy of Dr. John Morris, Asymptote Ltd., St. John’s Innovation Centre, Cambridge CB4 0WS, U.K. (www.asymptote.co.uk).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Life in the frozen state / edited by Barry J. Fuller, Nick Lane, Erica E. Benson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-415-24700-4 (alk. paper) 1. Cryobiology. I. Benson, Erica E. II. Fuller, Barry J. III. Lane, Nick. QH324.9.C7L545 2004 571.4'645--dc22 2003069764
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