dimethyl sulphoxide(DMSO) is used in plant tissue culture for which purpose?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), cell culture reagent is ideal for cryopreservation. DMSO is a dipolar, aprotic organic solvent with many applications in chemical and biological research. DMSO can uniquely provide solubility to certain very polar small molecules, such as simple biomolecules with multiple protic functional groups. It can also be used as an oxidation reagent in certain transformations. [Source: http://www.scbt.com/datasheet-358801.html ]

anonymous · Answer

DMSO is used as a solvent for plant growth regulators (eg:- 2,4 D is soluble in ethanol but it provides better results with DMSO) and hence used in certain media.
But mostly as a cryoprotectant in cryopreservation so that plant cells survive cooling to very low temperatures without damage from ice crystal formation.