X-Message-Number: 21452 Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 07:20:39 -0500 From: Francois <> Subject: For Brian, about vitrification Randy provided links about vitrification, but a short description of the process might be useful. In cryonics, vitrification refers to a freezing process that prevents the formation of ice crystals in the body's tissues. Instead of turning into ordinary ice, the water in the body turns into "glass", a solid form in which water molecules come together in a more or less random fashion instead of the regular crystaline structure of normal ice. The ordinary glass in our windows also has the same random arrangement of molecules. Obsidian, a black volcanic rock, is natural form of "glass". So what the people at Alcor do is inject special chemicals in the body to be preserved. These chemicals prevent the formation of ice crystals and force the water to solidify in its glassy state. Since it is the formation of ice crystals that cause the most damage, proceeding like that results in a much better preserved body that will require far less repair when the time comes to revive it. Francois --------------------------------------------------------------------- No lifespan shorter than eternity is acceptable --------------------------------------------------------------------- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21452