How effectively does a clinostat mimic the ultrastructural effects of microgravity on plant cells?
Columella cells of seedlings of Zea mays L. cv. Bear Hybrid grown in the microgravity of orbital flight allocate significantly larger relative-volumes to hyaloplasm and lipid bodies, and significantly smaller relative-volumes to dictyosomes, plastids, and starch than do columella cells of seedlings grown  at 1 g.  The ultrastructure of columella cells of seedlings grown at 1 g and on a rotating clinostat is not significantly different.  However, the ultrastructure of cells exposed to these treatments differs significantly from that of seedlings grown in microgravity.  These results indicate that the actions of a rotating clinostat do not mimic the ultrastructural effects of microgravity in columella cells of Z. mays.
Moore
R
R
Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435.
D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D048429:Cell Size; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006112:Gravitation; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018087:Plastids / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012399:Rotation; D013026:Space Flight; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism; D014893:Weightlessness; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D013213:Starch