The system by which a refrigerator removes heat from the freezer and refrigeration compartments and disposes of it outside your unit relies on the concept of convection. Convection is the process of heat transfer through the movement of matter, usually a gas or a liquid. In a refrigerator, convection occurs through the use of refrigerant gases and a compressor.
You may have heard of convection in the context of convection ovens, which are ovens that use hot circulating air to help speed up the process of cooking food. The principle of convection is reliant on the circulating air, which transfers heat to the food as it moves around the food. A refrigerator uses copper tubes filled with refrigerant coolant to do the same job as the air in a convection oven