GRAVITY, WEIGHTLESSNESS AND THE GENETIC STRUCTURES OF ORGANISMS

Abstract

The whole evolution of life on earth has proceeded under the action of earth's gravity which must have influenced the structure and function of organisms. During space flights organisms are exposed to the entirely new condition of weightlessness, and to variations in gravity that produce various changes. Current flight data suggest that organisms most often respond to weightlessness by disturbances in physiological function, which are reversible after the brief exposures that have at present been possible. Only longer space flights will show whether these changes will be compensated, or will lead to alterations in the more important systems of organisms including their hereditary properties. There is evidence that weightlessness has a direct effect on genetic properties. Thus, in microspores of Tradescantia abnormal mitoses (that were not observed in the ground-based control) were recorded to an extent of 3′. The numerous changes in various vital systems suggest that for terrestrial organisms weightlessness is a factor which, if administered for a long time, may bring about serious disturbances in their activities and heredity. The higher the evolutionary position of the organism, the more pronounced the effect is likely to be.