Vitrification definition: a clear explanation

Vitrification is the process of turning a liquid into a glass-like solid without forming ice crystals. In cryopreservation, it refers specifically to the transformation of body fluids into a stable, solid state using cryoprotective agents (CPAs) and ultra-rapid cooling.

The word comes from the Latin vitrum, meaning glass — and that’s exactly what the end result resembles: a transparent, rigid structure with no internal crystalline formation.

Unlike freezing, which creates damaging ice shards, vitrification avoids ice altogether, making it ideal for biological preservation.

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Why does vitrification matter in cryopreservation?

When living tissues are frozen in the traditional sense, ice crystals form. These crystals:

• Puncture cell membranes
• Disrupt structural proteins
• Destroy the fine architecture of the brain and organs

This is why freezing without vitrification isn’t viable for preserving life.

Vitrification, on the other hand, allows cells to maintain their shape and internal structure, keeping DNA, proteins, and even neural pathways intact.

That’s essential in human cryopreservation, where preserving the brain’s connectome (the map of neural connections) could mean preserving identity and memory.

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How does vitrification work?

Vitrification requires two key components:

1. Cryoprotectants

These are specialized chemicals that:

• Lower the freezing point of water inside the body
• Prevent ice formation during cooling
• Stabilize cellular structures

Commonly used cryoprotectants include dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethylene glycol, among others. They are introduced into the body shortly after legal death and circulated throughout tissues to replace blood.

2. Ultra-rapid cooling

After cryoprotectants are in place, the body is cooled rapidly — sometimes thousands of degrees per minute — until it reaches temperatures below -130°C. At this point, molecular motion essentially stops, and vitrification occurs.

At Tomorrow.bio, patients are eventually cooled to -196°C for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen.

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Vitrification in medicine today

Vitrification isn’t just for cryonics. It’s already used in modern medicine to preserve:

• Human eggs for fertility treatment
• Sperm cells
• Tissue samples
• Stem cells used in cancer therapies

In fact, vitrified embryos have higher survival and pregnancy rates than traditionally frozen ones, showing that the method can preserve function and viability.

Scientists are also working on applying vitrification to whole organs, which would revolutionize organ transplantation.

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Vitrification in cryonics: preserving possibility

In human cryopreservation, vitrification is the key that makes the entire process scientifically credible.

At Tomorrow.bio, vitrification is applied during the cryoprotection phase of preservation, ensuring that:

• Ice damage is avoided
• Cells, tissues, and neural structures are stabilized
• Long-term storage is safe and non-degrading

Without vitrification, cryopreservation would simply not work — because the tissues would be too damaged to ever consider repair or revival in the future.

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Is vitrification reversible?

In smaller applications — like embryos or stem cells — yes, vitrification is reversible. These cells can be thawed and remain viable.

In whole human bodies or organs, reversibility is not yet possible, though research is ongoing.

The goal in cryopreservation is not immediate reversal, but future viability: to preserve the body in a way that future medical technologies might restore.

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Why vitrification gives hope for the future

Vitrification keeps the structure of the human brain — including memory and personality — intact. That means it holds onto what makes a person who they are.

If future technologies like nanomedicine, brain repair, and regeneration become advanced enough, preserved individuals could potentially be revived — healthy, functional, and whole.

This isn’t guaranteed, but it’s possible, and that’s why more people are turning to cryopreservation as a future-facing alternative to irreversible death.

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About Tomorrow.bio

At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people and pets a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.

Our mission is to make cryopreservation a reliable and accessible option for everyone. We believe that no life — human or animal — should end because current medical capabilities fall short.

📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website: www.tomorrow.bio
🤝 Schedule a consultation: Book a call

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