Abstract
Liquid water is generally considered an absolute requisite for functional life; consequently, life is expected to function only over the range of temperatures that permit its existence. These limits, however, do not apply to cell survival. Some cells can survive the closest attainable approach to 0 K, and some can survive the loss of over 99% of their water.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ashwood-Smith, M. J. and Grant, E.: 1976,Cryobiol. 13, 206.
Bank, H.: 1973,Cryobiol. 10, 157.
Baross, J. A. and Morita, R. Y.: 1978, in D. J. Kushner (ed.),Microbial Life in Extreme Environments, Academic Press, N. Y., pp. 9–71.
Bateman, J. B., Stevens, C. L., Mercer, W. B., and Carstensen, E. L.: 1962,J. Gen. Microbiol. 29, 207.
Brown, W. E.: 1963, in S. M. Martin (ed.),Culture Collections: Perspectives and Problems, Univ. of Toronto Press, pp. 55–58.
Chapman, J. D., Webb, S. J., and Cormack, D. V.: 1967,Nature 213, 465.
Cox, C. S.: 1971,Appl. Microbiol. 21, 482.
Dorsey, N. E.: 1940, ‘Properties of Ordinary Water Substance’, ACS Monograph Series, No. 81, Reinhold Publ. Co., N.Y.
Ehresmann, D. W. and Hatch, M. T.: 1975,Appl. Microbiol. 29, 352.
Elkind, M. M. and Whitmore, G. F.: 1967,The Radiobiology of Cultured Mammalian Cells. Gordon and Breach, Science Publ, N.Y.
Heckly, R. J.: 1961, in W. W. Umbreit (ed.),Advances in Applied Microbiology, Vol. 3, Academic Press, Inc., pp. 1–76.
Hieda, K. and Ito, T.: 1973, inFreeze-drying of Biological Materials, Proc. of C-1 Symp. (Sapporo), International Institute of Refrigeration, Paris, pp. 71–78.
Inniss, W. E. and Ingraham, J. L.: 1978, in D. J. Kushner (ed.),Microbial Life in Extreme Environments, Academic Press, Inc., N. Y., pp. 73–104.
International Critical Tables: 1926, McGraw-Hill, N.Y.
Koga, S., Echigo, A., and Nunomura, K.: 1966,Biophys. J. 6, 665.
Kuntz, I. D., Jr., Brassfield, T. S., Law, G. D., and Purcell, G. V.: 1969,Science,163, 1329.
Lange, O. L., Schulze, E.-D., and Koch, W.: 1970, Experimentall-ökologische Untersuchungen an Flechten der Negev-Wüste. II. CO2-Gaswechsel und Wasserhaushalt vonRamalina Maciformis (Del.) Bory am Natürlichen Standort während der Sommerlichen Trockenperiode. Flora. Bd. 159, pp. 38–62.
Leibo, S. P.: 1977, in D. Simatos, D. M. Strong, and J.-M. Turc (eds.),Cryoimmunologie, INSERM, Paris, pp. 311–334.
Leibo, S. P., Farrant, J., Mazur, P., Hanna, M. G., Jr., and Smith, L. H.: 1970,Cryobiol. 6, 315.
Leibo, S. P., Mazur, P., and Jackowski, S. C.: 1974,Exp. Cell Res. 89, 79.
Leibo, S. P., McGrath, J. J., and Cravalho, E. G.: 1978,Cryobiol. 15, 257.
Levitt, J.: 1966, in H. T. Meryman (ed.),Cryobiology, Academic Press, London, Chapter 11, pp. 495–563.
Li, P. H. and Sakai, A. (eds.): 1978,Plant Cold Hardiness and Freezing Stress—Mechanisms and Crop Implications, Academic Press, N. Y.
Lovelock, J. E.: 1953,Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 10, 414.
MacKenzie, A. P.: 1970, in G. E. W. Wolstenholme and Maeve O'Connor (eds.),The Frozen Cell, Churchill, London, pp. 89–96.
Mackenzie, D. W.: 1971,Appl. Microbiol. 22, 678.
McGee, H. A., Jr. and Martin, W. J.: 1962,Cryogenics 2, 1.
Mazur, P.: 1963a,J. Gen. Physiol. 47, 347.
Mazur, P.: 1963b,Biophys. J. 3, 323.
Mazur, P.: 1966, in H. T. Meryman (ed.),Cryobiology, Academic Press, London, Chapter 6, pp. 213–315.
Mazur, P.: 1968, in G. C. Ainsworth and A. S. Sussman (eds.),The Fungi, Academic Press, N.Y., Vol. III, chapter 14, pp. 325–394.
Mazur, P.: 1976, in Otto Mühlbock (ed.),Proc. of Workshop on ‘Basic Aspects of Freeze Preservation of Mouse Strains’, Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, Sept. 16–18, 1974, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Publ., Stuttgart, pp. 1–12.
Mazur, P.: 1977a,Cryobiol. 14, 251.
Mazur, P.: 1977b, in K. Elliott and J. Whelan (eds.),The Freezing of Mammalian Embryos, Ciba Foundation Symposium No. 52 (New Series), Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 19–42.
Mazur, P. and Schmidt, J.: 1968,Cryobiol. 5, 1.
Mazur, P., Farrant, J., Leibo, S. P., and Chu, E. H. Y.: 1969,Cryobiol. 6, 1.
Mazur, P., Barghoorn, E. S., Halvorson, H. O., Jukes, T. H., Kaplan, I. R., and Margulis, L.: 1978,Space Sci. Rev. 22, 3.
Michener, H. D. and Elliott, R. P.: 1964,Adv. Food Res. 13, 349.
Miller, R. H. and Mazur, P.: 1976,Cryobiol. 13, 404.
Morelli, F., Fehlner, F. P., and Stembridge, C. H.: 1962,Nature 196, 106.
Morris, G. J. and Farrant, J.: 1972,Cryobiol. 9, 173.
Nei, T., Araki, T., and Souzu, H.: 1965,Cryobiol. 2, 68.
Portner, D., Spiner, D. R., Hoffman, R. K., and Phillips, C. R.: 1961,Science 134, 2047.
Rall, W. F., Mazur, P., and Souzu, H.: 1978,Biophys. J. 23, 101.
Rapatz, G. L., Menz, L. J., and Luyet, B. J.: 1966, in H. T. Meryman (ed.),Cryobiology, Academic Press, N.Y., pp. 139–162.
Rapatz, G., Sullivan, J. J., and Luyet, B.: 1968,Cryobiol. 5, 18.
Rice, F. O.: 1960, in A. M. Bass and H. P. Broida (eds.),Formation and Trapping of Free Radicals, Academic Press, N.Y., p. 7.
Robinson, R. A. and Stokes, R. H.: 1959,Electrolyte Solutions, Academic Press, Inc., London.
Rose, A. H.: 1976, inThe Survival of Vegetative Microbes, Symp. 26, Soc. Gen. Microbiol., Cambridge Univ. Press, pp. 155–182.
Sakurada, K.: 1958,Low Temp. Sci. (Sapporo) B 16, 91.
Sant, R. K. and Peterson, W. H.: 1958,Food Technology 12, 359.
Scholander, P. F. and Maggert, J. E.: 1971,Cryobiol. 8, 371.
Scholander, P. F., van Dam, L., Kanwisher, J. W., Hammel, H. T., and Gordon, M. S.: 1957,J. Cell. Comp. Physiol. 49, 5.
Servin-Massieu, M. and Cruz-Camarillo, R.: 1969,Appl. Microbiol. 18, 689.
Smith, A. U. and Polge, C.: 1950,Nature 166, 668.
Souzu, H. and Mazur, P.: 1978,Biophys. J. 23, 89.
Souzu, H., Nei, T., and Bito, M.: 1961,Low Temp. Sci. B 19, 49.
Webb, S. J.: 1960,Can. J. Microbiol. 6, 89.
Webb, S. J.: 1967a,Can. J. Microbiol. 13, 733.
Webb, S. J.: 1967b,Nature 213, 1137.
Whittingham, D. G., Leibo, S. P., and Mazur, P.: 1972,Science 178, 411.
Wood, T. H. and Rosenberg, A. M.: 1957,Biochim. Biophys. Acta 25, 78.
Wood, T. H. and Taylor, A. L.: 1957,Radiation Res. 6, 611.
Zentner, R. J.: 1966,Bacteriol. Rev. 30, 551.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Proceedings of the Fourth College Park Colloquium on Chemical Evolution:Limits of Life, University of Maryland, College Park, 18–20 October 1978.
Operated by Union Carbide Corporation under contract W-7405-eng-26 with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mazur, P. Limits to life at low temperatures and at reduced water contents and water activities. Origins Life Evol Biosphere 10, 137–159 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00928665
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00928665