The Biology of Freezing

When the mercury drops, your body begins a desperate fight for survival.

This is what happens when you freeze to death. First, the shivering starts.

It is your muscles' involuntary attempt to generate heat, but it is a losing battle

that drains your energy reserves rapidly. To protect your vital organs, your body undergoes

vasoconstriction. Blood is pulled away from your extremities, leaving your fingers

and toes to the mercy of the ice. As your core temperature plunges,

your brain begins to fail. Coordination slips away, and a heavy, lethal fog of

confusion settles over your mind. In a cruel twist, some victims experience