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cryobiology

cryobiology

1 9.3
The study of how very low temperatures affect living things
  • noun
  • /ˌkraɪoʊbaɪˈɑːlədʒi/
  • Specialized
: criobiología
  • Specialists in assisted reproduction, cryobiology, endocrinology, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, and behavior collaborated to develop conditions that allow AI to succeed.

Examples

  • Researchers in cryobiology focus on the effects of freezing temperatures on various organisms.

  • Bischof has achieved unusual prominence in areas within the field of cryobiology and low-temperature biology, including novel cryopreservation protocols.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The study of cryobiology has led to advances in preserving human organs for transplantation.

  • In cryobiology, scientists explore how low temperatures can preserve living tissues and improve organ storage.

Surface Forms

cryobiology singular
cryobiologies plural

Morphology

cryobiology = biology (semi-transparent) = cryo + biology

Regular prefixation of 'biology' by the technical combining form 'cryo-' (cold) yields the expected meaning, but 'cryo-' is a specialized element that may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Cryobiology comes from the Greek parts cryo- meaning 'cold', bio meaning 'life', and -logy meaning 'study'. So cryobiology is literally the study of 'life' at very low temperatures, which is why it focuses on how tissues, organs, and organisms survive or are stored in extreme cold.