Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Freezing Point Depression and Boiling Point Elevation03:12

Freezing Point Depression and Boiling Point Elevation

39.7K
Boiling Point Elevation
The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure is equal to ambient atmospheric pressure. Since the vapor pressure of a solution is lowered due to the presence of nonvolatile solutes, it stands to reason that the solution’s boiling point will subsequently be increased. Vapor pressure increases with temperature, and so a solution will require a higher temperature than will pure solvent to achieve any given vapor pressure, including one...
39.7K
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

14.8K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
14.8K
Ideal Solutions02:24

Ideal Solutions

22.3K
According to Raoult’s law, the partial vapor pressure of a solvent in a solution is equal or identical to the vapor pressure of the pure solvent multiplied by its mole fraction in the solution. However, Raoult's Law is only valid for ideal solutions. For a solution to be ideal, the solvent-solute interaction must be just as strong as a solvent-solvent or solute-solute interaction. This suggests that both the solute and the solvent would use the same amount of energy to escape to the...
22.3K
General Properties of Solutions02:12

General Properties of Solutions

35.5K
Many common substances around us exist as a solution, such as ocean water, air, and gasoline. All solutions are mixtures of substances that are composed of varying amounts of two or more types of atoms or molecules. A mixture with a non-uniform composition is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas a mixture with a uniform composition is a homogeneous mixture. The components that make the homogeneous mixture are evenly spread out and thoroughly mixed. 
35.5K
Solution Formation02:16

Solution Formation

37.0K
There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride.
This selective...
37.0K
Enthalpy of Solution02:39

Enthalpy of Solution

30.2K
There are two criteria that favor, but do not guarantee, the spontaneous formation of a solution:
30.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Regulation of an important glycolytic enzyme, pyruvate kinase, through phosphorylation in the larvae of a species of freeze-tolerant insect, Eurosta solidaginis.

Insect molecular biology·2020
Same author

Identification of novel and conserved microRNA and their expression in the gray mouse lemur, Microcebus murinus, a primate capable of daily torpor.

Gene·2018
Same author

Amplification and quantification of cold-associated microRNAs in the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) agricultural pest.

Insect molecular biology·2017
Same author

Insect cold hardiness: the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt signalling in freeze avoiding larvae of the goldenrod gall moth, Epiblema scudderiana.

Insect molecular biology·2016
Same author

Global metabolite analysis of the land snail Theba pisana hemolymph during active and aestivated states.

Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part D, Genomics & proteomics·2016
Same author

Multi-tissue transcriptomics for construction of a comprehensive gene resource for the terrestrial snail Theba pisana.

Scientific reports·2016

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy
13:52

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

13.2K

Organic solutes in freezing tolerance

K B Storey1

  • 1Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. kbstorey@ccs.carleton.ca

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Physiology
|July 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Freeze-tolerant animals use cryoprotectants like polyols and glucose to survive freezing. Frogs exhibit unique organ thawing patterns and rely on specific signaling pathways for cryoprotectant synthesis and distribution.

Area of Science:

  • Zoology
  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Freeze-tolerant animals accumulate cryoprotectants (polyols, sugars) to minimize ice damage.
  • Insects use polyols, while frogs synthesize glucose in response to freezing.
  • Seasonal enzyme activity changes regulate cryoprotectant synthesis and degradation in insects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of cryoprotection in freeze-tolerant animals.
  • To explore the role of glucose synthesis, distribution, and organ thawing in freeze-tolerant frogs.
  • To understand the evolutionary origins of freeze tolerance in amphibians.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of seasonal enzyme activity patterns in insects.
  • Proton magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) to observe freezing and thawing in frogs.

More Related Videos

Tandem High-pressure Freezing and Quick Freeze Substitution of Plant Tissues for Transmission Electron Microscopy
12:52

Tandem High-pressure Freezing and Quick Freeze Substitution of Plant Tissues for Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 13, 2014

17.1K
Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy
11:17

Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

Published on: September 11, 2014

34.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy
13:52

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

13.2K
Tandem High-pressure Freezing and Quick Freeze Substitution of Plant Tissues for Transmission Electron Microscopy
12:52

Tandem High-pressure Freezing and Quick Freeze Substitution of Plant Tissues for Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 13, 2014

17.1K
Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy
11:17

Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

Published on: September 11, 2014

34.1K
  • Studies on signal transduction pathways (beta-adrenergic receptors, cAMP) in frog liver.
  • Investigation of glucose transporter roles in cryoprotectant distribution.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified glycerol degradation pathway involving polyol dehydrogenase and glyceraldehyde kinase.
    • Observed differential thawing of vital organs (liver, heart) in frogs, enabling early functional recovery.
    • Demonstrated the critical role of beta-adrenergic signaling and glycogenolysis in frog cryoprotectant synthesis.
    • Highlighted the importance of plasma membrane glucose transporters for cryoprotectant distribution.
    • Found that amphibian dehydration tolerance mechanisms may predate freeze tolerance.

    Conclusions:

    • Cryoprotectant accumulation and regulated ice formation are key to freeze tolerance.
    • Frogs possess specialized mechanisms for cryoprotection, including rapid glucose synthesis and organ-specific thawing.
    • Signal transduction pathways and glucose transporters are crucial for effective cryoprotection in frogs.
    • Freeze tolerance in frogs likely evolved from existing dehydration tolerance pathways.