Liquid nitrogen is the liquid form of nitrogen gas, produced by cooling atmospheric nitrogen below its boiling point of -195.8 degrees C at standard atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen makes up approximately 78 percent of the air we breathe, making it one of the most abundant elements on Earth. Industrial production uses a process called fractional distillation of air: atmospheric air is compressed, cooled, and then allowed to expand, causing its component gases to liquefy at different temperatures and separate. Liquid nitrogen is drawn off at its specific liquefaction point, then stored and transported in vacuum-insulated vessels to prevent rapid evaporation. Its abundance makes it one of the least expensive cryogenic fluids available, which contributes to its widespread use in biological sample storage, food processing, and industrial applications. In IVF and andrology laboratories, liquid nitrogen is the medium that maintains biological samples at the ultra-low temperatures required for indefinite storage. For the equipment used to store and handle it safely, visit Cryolab’s liquid nitrogen storage range.