cryoprotective, cryroprotection
Capable of protecting against injury due to freezing, as glycerol protects frozen red blood cells.
cryoprotein
A protein that precipitates from a solution when it is cooled and then redissolves when it is re-warmed.
cryopulvinectomy
Destruction of the pulvinar by the application of extreme cold.
cryopump
A device designed to produce an ultrahigh vacuum by the condensation or adsorption of a gas at a very low temperature (usually below 77 Kelvin).
cryosar
A cryogenic semiconductor device designed for very high speed computer switching and memory applications.
cryoscope, kryoscope
1. An instrument for measuring the freezing point.
2. An apparatus for performing cryoscopy.
cryoscopy, cryoscopic, cryoscopical, kryoscopy
1. The determination of the freezing point of a fluid, usually blood or urine, compared with that of distilled water.
2. Examination of liquids, based on the principle that the freezing point of solutions varies according to the amount and the nature of the substance contained in them in solution. Also algoscopy.
cryosistor
A cryogenic semiconductor device that, after ionization, can act as a three-terminal switch, a pulse amplifier, an oscillator, or a unipolar transistor.
cryosorption, cryosorb
The process of capturing a gas on or in a material that has a very large surface and that has been cooled to a very low temperature.
The weak attractive force between the gas and surface is enhanced by the low temperature.
cryospasm
Spasm produced by cold.
cryosphere
The region, or portion, of the earth’s surface that is characteristically covered by snow and ice and so frozen throughout the year.
Studies of the extent and status of the cryosphere can provide insights into the present and the past climate changes.
cryostat
(s) (noun), cryostats
(pl)
1. A device by which a certain temperature can be maintained at a very low level: The specimen was put in a cryostat which cooled it down considerably.
2. A freezing chamber: The students were introduced to the cryostat where they would be cutting microscopically fine parts of tissues with a microtome.
cryosurgeon
One who uses freezing temperature to destroy diseased tissue.
cryosurgery, cryosurgical
1. An operation using freezing temperature (achieved by liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide) to destroy diseased tissue.
2. Destruction of tissue by the application of extreme cold; utilized in some forms of intracranial and cutaneous surgery.
You may take a self-scoring quiz over some of the words in this section by clicking on this cryo-, kryo- quiz to check your word knowledge or learn more about the words in this unit.
Cross references of word families that are related directly or indirectly to "winter, freezing, frost, and/or cold":
algid- (cold, chilly);
cheimo-, chimo- (winter, cold);
crymo-, krymo- (cold, chill, frost);
frigo-, frig- (cold, frost);
gel-, gelati- (freeze, frost, congeal);
hiber- (winter, wintry);
pago- (cold, freezing);
psychro- (cold);
rhigo- (cold, frost; shiver).
