Plunge freezing. (IMAGE) Institute of Science and Technology Austria Caption Plunge freezing. Samples are dipped into cryogen or liquid ethane. Rapid cooling causes the water in the sample to vitrify, meaning it turns into a glass-like form instead of forming ice crystals. This state preserves the fine structural details of the sample. Credit © Nadine Poncioni/ISTA Usage Restrictions Free to use when reporting about ISTA License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.