Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:29:40.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 11 - Fundamental cryobiology of reproductive cells and tissues

Concepts and misconceptions

from Section 3 - Reproductive biology and cryobiology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2011

Jacques Donnez
Affiliation:
Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
S. Samuel Kim
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Get access

Summary

Understanding the basics of cryobiology to develop improved cryopreservation procedures has been a major challenge to scientists all over the world. During a typical cryopreservation process ice tends to form at different rates. Intracellular ice formation is generally thought to be lethal as it causes injury to cellular membranes and intracellular structures. Conventional slow freezing protocols involve pretreatment of cells with cryoprotective agents (CPAs) in order to remove some water from the cells and to minimize some other harmful effects of freezing. The rate at which permeable CPA diffuses into the cells varies between the cryoprotectants and is also temperature and concentration dependant. Vitrification has become an increasingly accepted method for preserving embryos, oocytes and, recently, even sperm. An ideal vitrification method produces no ice formation and may therefore be an equilibrium method. The benefits of sperm cryopreservation are numerous in human reproductive medicine.
Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×