Why do ants come back to life when they defrost?

Question

but if a person freezes then they are dead forever...

Answer 1

Ants are ectothermic, meaning that their body temperature adjusts to the temperature of their environment.  If you live in an area that routinely has freezing temperatures, then the ants have evolved to overwinter while it freezes.

Many plants and animals can survive being frozen - it's not the freezing itself that is the problem, but the formation of crystals that destroys tissues.  Ants and other animals that can thaw out from being in the freezer have a variety of chemicals that prevent the formation of crystals inside.

As we're endothermic, we can't deal with low body temperatures.

Answer 2

Well you heard of bears hibernating not having food for months just sleeping...we human cant...!!!

Its God's creation to make each and everyone unique for survival.

Just for the record I heard of accident cases when someone arms or finger was cut off and they used ice to keep it alive and joint back during surgery

Answer 3

I'm not really sure if it is true that ants will survive after being frozen (cryopreservation).

I found an interesting page where someone did attempt this experiment with ants and none of them survived: http://www.scientificameriken.com/yr1/an...

Water bears (or tardigrada), microscopic multicellular organisms, can survive freezing at low temperatures by replacing most of their internal water with the sugar trehalose according to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryopreserv...

Answer 4

I don't know,but it is so weird! They will come back to life after they are drowned,too.When they get in my hummingbird feeder and I empty out all of the "dead" ants,after a while,they come back to life!! It is so strange! I wonder of the sugar has anything to do with it? But why the frozen ones come back is beyond me.Wood frogs and certain snakes and turtles can freeze solid and come back to life,too!!

Answer 5

I don't know much about ants but perhaps because they have a small amount of blood if any?

Answer 6

lol, good thing the beef in my freezer doesnt do that!