Influence of different natural physical fields on biological processes

Area of Science:

• Astrobiology and Space Biology
• Plant Physiology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Spaceflight exposes organisms to altered gravity, electromagnetic, and radiation fields.
• These environmental changes disrupt physical processes, chemical reactions, and organismal metabolism.
• Previous observations show metabolic and morphological changes in various organisms under space conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of spaceflight conditions on biological processes and organismal development.
• To understand how microgravity affects metabolic reactions, cell morphology, and spatial orientation.
• To elucidate the role of gravity in the evolutionary development of life on Earth.

Main Methods:

• Observation of metabolic and morphological changes in plants (e.g., wheat, pea, Crepis, Arabidopsis) and animals (Proteus, amphibians, fish, birds) under spaceflight conditions.
• Analysis of gravireceptor apparatus formation in various species during space missions.
• Investigating gravity-sensitive biological systems, including photosynthesis, under microgravity.

Main Results:

• Spaceflight conditions induce disruptions in ionic exchange, cell morphology (e.g., gyrosity in Proteus), and spatial orientation (e.g., wheat, pea seedlings).
• Mutational changes were observed in plants like Crepis and Arabidopsis.
• The gravireceptor system in plants does not function in weightlessness, with orientation influenced by light gradients or other factors; similar peculiarities were noted in amphibians, fish, and birds.

Conclusions:

• Microgravity and altered physical fields significantly impact biological processes, leading to changes due to the absence of rigid determination.
• Photosynthesis, a key energy production process, is gravity-sensitive and affected by microgravity.
• Understanding these effects provides a basis for exploring gravity's role in biological evolution.