Development capacity of artemia cysts and lettuce seeds flown in Cosmos 936 and directly exposed to cosmic rays.
Developmental capacity of Artemia cysts and chromosomal aberration frequency in lettuce seeds, flown aboard Cosmos 936 have been investigated. Biological objects were located inside or outside the spacecraft. Lettuce seeds were stuck on plastic plates and sandwiched in cellulose sheets in order to discriminate the objects hit by the cosmic heavy ions from the ones not hit. The absorbed dose inside the spacecraft was about 650 mrad. Biological objects were located at different levels in the "outside" container; absorbed doses were 1.5 rad for lettuce seeds and 30 rad for Artemia cysts. There was no change in hatch-ability of Artemia cysts located inside or outside the spacecraft when eggs were tested 2-4 months after recovery, but a marked decrease was observed in eggs 9 months after the space flight. Survival of larvae and adults was normal in "inside" eggs, but decreased in "outside" eggs. Space flight also resulted in a higher frequency of single chromosomal aberrations in cells developed from "inside and outside", hit and non-hit seeds. This highest percentage of multiple chromosomal aberrations occurred in seeds hit by the heavy ions.
D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D005260:Female; D010063:Ovum / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012639:Seeds / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013026:Space Flight; D014675:Vegetables / Q000528:radiation effects