Vitrification
Vitrification (also called vitrification , from Latin vitrum 'glass') is the solidification of a liquid by increasing its viscosity while it is being cooled - whereby crystallization does not take place and an amorphous material (glass) is created. This can e.g. B. can be achieved by extremely rapid cooling (e.g. in liquid nitrogen ) in conjunction with additives that prevent crystallization (so-called cryoprotectants ).
Applications
- When producing glass , the melt is cooled sufficiently quickly to prevent crystallization.
- In cryopreservation and cryonics
- For the homogeneous and crystallization-free freezing of egg cells in the area of social freezing
See also
literature
- S. Al-Hasani, K. Diedrich et al .: Cryopreservation of human oocytes . Hum Reprod 1987; 2: 695-700.
- MJ Ashwood-Smith, J. Farrant: Low temperature preservation in medicine and biology . Pitman Press, Bath, 1980.
- K. Elliot, J. Whelan, CIBA Foundation Symposium 52: The freezing of mammalian embryos . Elsevier / North Holland, Amsterdam, 1977.