Cryophobia
Cryophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of cold, including cold weather and cold objects. Sufferers from cryophobia experience anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. To avoid cold, they may live in a warm climate, dress more warmly than necessary, stay indoors on cold days, and avoid cold foods and ice cubes.
“Cryophobia” is derived from the Greek “kryos” (cold, frigid) and “phobos” (fear). “Kryos” has given us English words such as “cryometer” (a thermometer for measuring very cold temperatures) and “cryotherapy” and “cryosurgery” (medical techniques that freeze and destroy diseased tissue). Related term: Thermophobia, fear of heat.
Read Also:
- Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation: The process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low temperatures to maintain their viability. For example, the technology of cooling and storing cells at a temperature below the freezing point (‘196’ C) permits high rates of survivability of the cells upon thawing.
- Cryoprobe
Cryoprobe: A surgical probe, a long slender pointed surgical instrument, used to apply extreme cold to tissues. From cryo- from the Greek kryos meaning cold + probe.
- Cryoprotectant
Cryoprotectant: A chemical component of a freezing solution used in cryopreservation to help protect what is being frozen from freeze damage. The chemical glycerol, for example, is commonly used as a cryoprotectant to protect frozen red blood cells.
- Cryostat
Cryostat: A chamber that can maintain very low temperatures. Medical laboratories use a cryostat to preserve frozen tissue samples while a microtome, an extremely sharp cutting instrument mounted inside cryostats, slices the tissue into pieces thin enough to be observed under a microscope. The sliced piece must be so thin as to look nearly transparent. […]
- Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery: Treatment performed with an instrument that freezes and destroys abnormal tissue.