How can things like worms and bacteria still be alive after being frozen in ice for thousands of years?
In: 9
Large stuff like humans can’t be thawed because it can’t all be done at once, so while parts of us are thawed and parts aren’t, ice crystals form in the tissues and that destroys both the tissues and the blood vessels.
Small things like single cell bacteria don’t have that problem. There are also things like turtles and toads that have special adaptations that prevent the ice crystals forming throughout their tissues and blood. Glucose pumped throughout the body in the bloodstream helps prevent damage to cells, but the mechanisms are still being studied. Frogs can’t survive too low of temperatures, and they have to go through a healing process.
Some species of worms can survive a lot of damage, famously being able to be cut up and regrow the pieces into full whole worms. That ability helps with surviving freezing, as does their small size.
Most of the answer is that they aren’t thawed on a kitchen counter. They’re very carefully removed from ice and brought back to living temperatures, in a way that minimizes damage.
Latest Answers