Cryoprotectant

Okay, so imagine you have a toy made out of a material that can break easily if it gets too cold or too hot. But you need to put that toy in the fridge to keep it fresh. What do you do? You use a blanket or a soft cover to wrap it up and protect it from the cold temperature. That's kind of what cryoprotectant does.

Cryoprotectant is a substance that is used to protect living things, like cells and tissues, when they are frozen. When things get frozen, ice crystals can form and damage the structures inside the cells. Cryoprotectant is a special liquid that is added to the cells to prevent them from freezing too quickly and forming ice crystals.

It's like adding a protective layer around the cells so that they don't get hurt when they are exposed to cold temperatures. The cryoprotectant can also help protect the cell's DNA and other important molecules that could be damaged by the freezing process.

So just like you wrap up your toy to protect it from the cold, scientists use cryoprotectant to protect living things when they are frozen. It helps keep them safe and healthy, so they can be thawed out later without any damage.