The latest studies find that beetles produce antifreeze protein (AFPs) to stop the growth of ice that might form in their internal fluids, which lowers the freezing temperature of the insect and prevents freezing related-tissue damage.
AFPs within these living organisms bind to seed ice crystals that form as the weather cools. By binding to the ice, AFPs prevent the ice from spreading and freezing the organism.
Many organisms that live in cold weather have some level of AFPs including insects, fish, plants, bacteria, algae and fungi.
Read more: http://phys.org/news/2013-05-dont-beetles-winter.html
RELATED:
WHY DON'T FISH FREEZE IN THE ARCTIC?
Antifreeze again. But read how fish do it.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/08/arctic-fish-antifreeze/
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