Advancement in cryogenics as cryoprotectants found in frogs that allow their bodies to freeze yet live

08/27/2013 - 00:00

By Stefan Sirucek -

When you think about hardy arctic creatures bracing for a cold winter, you’re probably thinking of something huge and furry and possibly antlered. Odds are you’re not thinking of … wood frogs. (See a picture of a wood frog.)

But it may be time to cast that amphibian prejudice aside in light of a new study in The Journal of Experimental Biology that examines the astounding ability of Rana sylvatica to freeze—and live through it. R. sylvatica is a species of wood frog with a range that stretches from the state of Georgia all the way through Canada and into the Arctic Circle.

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