[Adaptive potentials of mammals under conditions of weightlessness]

Review and analysis of experiments with Wistar rats in microgravity allows to deduce that compensatory-adaptive potentials of mammals in space flight lasting up to 1/50th of their life span suffice for rapid elimination of space-induced metabolic and structural alterations on return to Earth, maintenance of adequate reactions to acute and chronic stresses in the post-flight period, demonstration of a stereotype of pre-flight elaborated conditional reflexes and pregnancy dominant, normal reproductive function and life span. Consideration is given to individual differences in body responses to the micro-g environment. A conclusion is made to the effect that the role of individual stamina and reactivity will be gaining in importance with increasing duration of space flights.