title: Gravitational studies in cellular and developmental biology.
abstract: The paucity of data on the role of gravity in cellular and developmental biology has been examined, and a hypothesis has been generated that unifies potential gravity sensitivity in both plant and animal systems.  This hypothesis considers the macromolecular order and functional importance of the extracellular matrix compartment, the intracellular cytoskeleton compartment, and the connecting plasma membrane-signal transduction compartment of plant and animal systems as potentially sensitive to alterations in the unit gravity environment in which they evolved.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-4901, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Spooner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D015509:Developmental Biology / Q000379:methods*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology*; D006112:Gravitation; D010944:Plants; D012106:Research; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*