What condition results from the actual freezing of tissue fluids, causing damage to the skin and underlying tissue?

Frostbite is a condition that occurs when skin and underlying tissues freeze due to exposure to extremely cold temperatures. When the temperature reaches a point that causes water in the body's cells and tissues to freeze, ice crystals form, leading to cellular damage. This damage can result in symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and discoloration of the affected area. In severe cases, frostbite can lead to tissue death, requiring medical intervention to prevent complications like necrosis.

Understanding the distinction is important: hypothermia refers to the body's overall drop in temperature, affecting the entire body rather than localized tissue, while frost nip is a milder form of cold injury, causing temporary skin damage but typically not freezing the tissue. Burns, on the other hand, involve thermal damage and do not relate to freezing. Therefore, frostbite specifically addresses the freezing of tissue fluids that lead to the damage described in the question.