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Gravity, weightlessness and the genetic structures of organisms
1USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow, USSR.
Life Sciences and Space Research
|January 1, 1974
Summary
Spaceflight's weightlessness causes physiological disturbances in organisms. Longer missions may reveal serious effects on vital systems and heredity, especially in evolutionarily advanced species.
Area of Science:
- Space biology
- Gravitational biology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Organisms evolve under Earth's gravity, influencing structure and function.
- Spaceflight exposes organisms to weightlessness, a novel environmental condition.
- Physiological changes observed in short-duration spaceflights are typically reversible.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of weightlessness on organisms.
- To assess potential long-term consequences of spaceflight on physiological functions and hereditary properties.
- To determine if weightlessness impacts genetic stability.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of physiological function changes during spaceflight.
- Observation of cellular processes, such as mitosis, in microspore samples.
- Comparison of space-flown organisms with ground-based controls.
Main Results:
- Weightlessness induces physiological disturbances in organisms.
- Abnormal mitoses (3%) were observed in Tradescantia microspores, not seen in controls.
- Evidence suggests a direct impact of weightlessness on genetic properties.
Conclusions:
- Weightlessness can cause reversible physiological disturbances.
- Prolonged exposure to weightlessness may lead to significant disruptions in vital systems and heredity.
- The impact of weightlessness appears more pronounced in organisms with higher evolutionary positions.
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