Cryonics is the preservation of human life after the point when no modern-day medicine will sustain that life. The main objective of Cryonics is to preserve the body of a dying person so that in the future, if advanced technology is produced that can reverse the effects of a disease or aging, that person can be brought back to life and live a healthy life. Cryonics is not actually freezing a human body, but when a person is pronounced dead, the cryonists, people who use cryonics to extend life, will replace the water in cells with cryoprotectants. Cryoprotectants are anti-freeze mixtures that will harden like glass, rather than form ice crystals that are harmful to the human body and damages human tissues (22). The hardening of the cryoprotectants is known as vitrification, which cryonists believe is the best possible solution for a patient to have a youthful life once they are revived. It is important to remember that the technology has not yet been discovered, so revival is not possible, but many scientists believe that one day it will be (24). |
 Cryonic Tank. Figure 4  On the left is a 'frozen' kidney and the right is a kidney that has been cryopreserved with the cryoprotectants. Figure 3 |
