BETA
Chapter 1
The sleep of the giants
Chapter 2
Natural antifreeze inside the trunk
Chapter 3
Evergreen strategies across the globe
YOUR GOAL
Master of How trees survive winter
Ch 2 · Natural antifreeze inside the trunk
artiteacher Drag sugars into tree cells to discover how trees survive freezing winter temperatures.
artiteacher Natural antifreeze inside the trunk
Turning starch to sweet sugar so the cold can't freeze our cells
artiteacher Trees squeeze water out of their cells into intercellular spaces, allowing the cells to safely supercool.
artiteacher Trees convert stored starches into sugars, lowering the freezing point of the water inside their cells.
Fun Fact
Glassy cells: During extreme cold, tree cells turn their internal fluids into a solid, glassy state without forming sharp ice crystals.
Glossary
sap (noun)
The fluid, chiefly water with dissolved sugars and mineral salts, that circulates through a plant's vascular system. Deciduous trees convert stored starches into concentrated sugars to lower the freezing point of this internal fluid.
The fluid, chiefly water with dissolved sugars and mineral salts, that circulates through a plant's vascular system. Deciduous trees convert stored starches into concentrated sugars to lower the freezing point of this internal fluid.
Quiz
What is the scientific term for liquid staying liquid below its normal freezing point?
Quiz
What do trees convert their stored starches into to lower their freezing point?