Cryobiology is the science of freezing biological fluids, cells, and tissues. It is an extension of cryogenics, which is the study of the properties of matter at very low temperatures. Cryobiological techniques have application in genetic research, livestock breeding, infertility treatment, and organ transplantation. There are even those who believe that humans can be frozen and placed in suspended animation, although this concept is presently rejected by mainstream scientists.

The terms cryobiology and cryogenics are derived from the Greek kryos, meaning icy cold. Temperatures used in cryogenics range from -148 °F (-100 °C) to near absolute zero -459.67 °F (-273.15 °C). Such ultra-low temperatures can be achieved by the use of super-cooled gases. The study of these gases dates back to 1877, when Swiss physicist Raoul Pictet and French engineer Louis Cailletet first learned how to liquify oxygen. Although they worked independently and used different...