Experiments on embryos in space: an overview

The question is, "Does gravity play an essential role in the normal development of an embryo?". Experiments on Earth which have disturbed the position of the embryo relative to the gravitational force, have implied that it does. But the critical tests are those in which the embryo is maintained in conditions of microgravity. The problems, both practical and conceptual, in conducting these experiments in Space, are considered, together with a brief discussion of selected achievements to date and a look at the problems to be tackled in the future.