Results of biological experiments carried out under conditions of "Vostok" flights with the participation of cosmonauts A.G. Nikolajev, P.R. Popovich and V.F. Bykovsky.
The data are presented on a study of the effect of space flight factors, particularly of weightlessness and radiation, on the fertilization, growth and development of Drosophila melanogaster and on the mechanism of heredity in Tradescantia paludosa. Copulation, oviposition and development of Drosophila are shown to be possible under 4-day weightless conditions. A distortion in the sex ratio has been registered in the cultures of flies grown in flight. Three types of changes in Tradescantia microspores brought about by flight factors have been revealed, i.e. chromosome rearrangements, distortions in the mitotic mechanism and stimulation of growth processes in the cell. It is suggested that rearrangements of chromosomes are caused by the action of vibrations and accelerations while distortions in the mechanism of mitosis are mainly related to the weightlessness effect.
Antipov
V V
VV
USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Delone
N L
NL
Parfyonov
G P
GP
Vysotsky
V G
VG
D000818:Animals; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008938:Mitosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development; D012098:Reproduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D013026:Space Flight; D014893:Weightlessness