Sunday, May 8, 2011

Why don’t hibernating insects freeze to death?

The blood of several kinds of insects contains a kind of antifreeze called glycerol (GLIHSuh-rohl). This helps to keep them alive until warm weather returns. The African midge can survive the very lowest temperatures. One was dipped in liquid helium at a temperature of –452 degrees Fahrenheit (–269°C), and it lived!

No comments:

Post a Comment