Which statement best describes the primary benefit of cryopreservation for mouse strains?

• A. It permanently mutates the genome
• B. It allows long-term storage and on-demand availability
• C. It prevents disease
• D. It accelerates breeding

Answer: (B)

Cryopreservation preserves genetic resources by freezing reproductive material (like sperm or embryos) so mouse strains can be stored for extended periods and revived when needed. The main benefit is long-term storage with on-demand availability: you can back up many strains, safeguard against catastrophic loss, and retrieve a strain whenever experiments require it without maintaining a large live colony.

This is not about changing the genome, so it won’t permanently mutate the strain. It also doesn’t prevent disease or cure conditions, and it doesn’t speed up breeding—it pauses the line until you thaw and re-expand it.