Freezing of Nonwoody Plant Tissues: II. Cell Damage and the Fine Structure of Freezing Curves

Temperature recordings of the freezing of plant tissues include two plateaus or regions of reduced slope. During the second of these, small positive spikes were observed. When a completely frozen tissue was thawed and refrozen, neither the second plateau nor the spikes were recorded. Both were present, however, if the initial freezing had been terminated before the second plateau had been reached. The spikes appear to represent the release of heat of crystallization during the freezing of individual cells. Such a freezing and thawing cycle destroys the ability of the cells to remain supercooled in the presence of the ice that is formed as the first plateau is recorded.