Glossary

artificial insemination
placing sperm cells into the cervix or uterus using a catheter for the purpose of achieving pregnancy

cryoprotectant
a chemical component of a freezing solution that protects the cells from freeze damage

cryopreservation
cooling and storing cells in a frozen state at a temperature which provides high survivability when thawed (-196°C for sperm cells)

cryoprotectant buffer
a chemical component of a freezing solution that protects the sperm cells by preventing changes in acidity during the cryopreservation process

Fairfax Doctorate
Fairfax Cryobank donors who are in the process of or who have completed their doctorate degrees, these individuals include: chiropractic, dental, law (juris doctorate), medical, optometry, and Ph.D. students and graduates

Family Solutions
a program initiated in 1998 that selected pregnancy proven donors from the Fairfax Cryobank program

ICI (intracervical insemination)
placing semen in the cervix using a catheter

ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
microinjecting an individual sperm cell into an egg for the purpose of fertilization

IUI (intrauterine insemination)
placing washed sperm cells directly into the uterus

IVF (in vitro fertilization)
fertilizing eggs with sperm cells in a dish in the laboratory

liquid nitrogen
nitrogen gas that has been cooled to the liquid state (-196°C) and used to cool and store cells in a frozen state

NAT
Nucleic acid Test (also called PCR), a method of replicating very small amounts of DNA, can be used in HIV testing to detect HIV viral DNA prior to seroconversion of the individual

semen
the male ejaculate containing a mixture of seminal plasma and sperm cells

seminal plasma
the liquid portion of an ejaculate composed of fluid from the prostate and seminal vesicle glands of the male

seroconversion
the process in which the body building a detectable level of antibodies to an infection, this time frame can be 6 months or longer after the initial infection with some diseases, see NAT on this page

straw
container used to package frozen tissue, Fairfax Cryobank does not package specimens in straws

vials
a container used to package frozen tissue sometimes referred to as a dose or unit, Fairfax Cryobank packages frozen donor semen in vials specially designed for cryopreservation

washed sperm cells
sperm cells that have had the seminal plasma removed by the process of centrifugation

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