HOW ORGANISMS ALIVE IN COLD CONDITIONS?

  Frozen but alive!

The common wood frog may look small and ordinary, but it has an amazing ability. It can withstand temperatures below the freezing point of water. In every cold weather, it freezes to become a frog-shaped ice cube.

This unique ability allow the common wood frog to live in harsh climate such as those found in Arctic Circle.

During the freezing process, about 65% of the water of the frog body freezes. The rest remains in the liquid state. Glucose , a sugar produce in the frog’s body, lowers the freezing point of its body tissues. This prevents the formation of ice in its body so that frog can stay alive.

When the weather gets warmer the frog simply thaws out!

Scientists have been studying the common wood frog. They hope that this might help them to keep human organs donated for transplant, such as the heart, in good condition for a longer period of time. Currently , the human organs can only be kept for a few hours if these donated organs can be kept in good condition for longer time, many more lives can be saved.