ScienceJuly 17, 2026

cryobiology

/ˌkraɪoʊbaɪˈɒlədʒi/

Definition

The branch of biology that examines the effects of extremely low temperatures on living organisms.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'kryos' (icy cold) and 'bios' (life), combined with the suffix '-logy' (study of). It entered modern English as a scientific term to describe the study of life at low temperatures.

In the news

The word appears in the article as a categorized topic related to space life science, highlighting research areas relevant to astrobiology. It matters because studying how life survives freezing is essential for understanding life in extreme environments on other planets.

New Deadline For NASA Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) Announcement for Partnership Proposals (AFPP)

Read the full article ↗

Astrobiology Web

Related words

albedo

The proportion of sunlight or radiation that is reflected by a surface, such as the…

Science

aquaculture

The controlled rearing and harvesting of aquatic animals, such as shrimp or fish, in an…

Science

bathymetry

The measurement of depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes.

Science

biosignature

Any substance, structure, or phenomenon that provides scientific evidence of past or…

Science

boson

A fundamental subatomic particle that carries forces between other particles, such as the…

Science

capriciousness

The quality of being governed by impulsive, unpredictable, or erratic changes in mood or…

Science

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.

Not for marketing. One email on launch day.