Expert: Walter Hintz - 4/19/2011

Question
Dear Walter,
Please I will  like to know the difference between cryonics and cryogenics. I understand that cryogenic preservation claims to preserve cells (and body parts) by using extremely low temperatures. If that is true, is it possible to use this method to preserve sperm cells over a long period of time - say, a century?

Think about a situation whereby semen sample is collected from a man and then preserved and later used to fertilize the egg of a woman in the next 100 years. Would this result in a baby? This sounds like a sort of fiction, but I want to know if it is possible.

Many thanks,

Samson.

Answer
In Physics cryogenics is the study on loe temperature on objects
Cryonics is the preservation of living tissue through freezing
WE do not know how long sperm can be frozen and still be viable because cryonics has not been around for 100 years. The technology has only been around since the late 1980's. It is thought taht sperms can be frozen indefinitely. ( which means of course we do not know for sure) So far sperms have been frozen and are viable for 12 years