X-Message-Number: 5057
From: Robert D Grahame <>
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Frozen Dog
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 95 18:43:34  GMT
Message-ID: <>

References: <46hcpg$> <> 
<46pe77$>

In article <46pe77$> Yannis <"yannis"@yannis.seanet,com>
writes:
>Isn't the sperm at sperm banks kept frozen and then thawed for 
>use? Why is it that sperm stays viable and not other organs or
>organisms?
This is quite true. Also human egg cells, and even very early human embryos
can be frozen indefinately. This is done routinely as part of some IVF
fertility treatments.

The main reason seems to be that sperm are single cells. With careful
preparation the various problems with freezing any individual cell can be
avoided by customising the procedure to that cells needs. The minute size
also allows *very* fast freezing and thawing. To freeze an organ takes much
longer, which causes one set of problems (such as cracking), and you also
have to preserve the organ's structure of millions of cells of many different
types linked together into a single complex machine. This is much harder, as
the 'ideal' preservation technique varies greatly from one type of cell to
another.

This is purely my understanding BTW, I'm not qualified.

-- Bob Grahame, Streatham, London. LAN Consultant
-- Voice : +(44)181 764 6058 : PGP Key available
-- Towel : 0d8'22"W51d24'16"N+29M


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5057