What remarkable biological feature allows the Wood Frog to survive being frozen solid?
Tolerance to freezing temperatures due to cryoprotectant production.
The Wood Frog possesses an extraordinary physiological adaptation that allows it to endure extreme cold periods during its winter hibernation, setting it apart even within the Class Amphibia. This specialized feature is its remarkable tolerance to freezing solid, where up to 65% of the total body water can solidify into ice. This survival mechanism is directly facilitated by an internal biochemical process: the mass production of glucose. Glucose acts fundamentally as a cryoprotectant, a substance whose presence in the cellular fluids actively prevents the formation of lethal ice crystals within the cells themselves, thereby protecting vital organelles and structures from mechanical damage caused by freezing.
