Definition

Nitrogen is chemical that is usually found as a gas. To become a liquid, nitrogen gas must release great amounts of heat, becoming super-cooled to about -200 degrees Celsius.

Liquid nitrogen is used to kill cells that make up diseased or cancerous tissue. Tissue that has been frozen dries out and falls off.

Review Date:10/16/2006
Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.