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Effects of microgravity on vestibular development and function in rats: genetics and environmentOur anatomical and behavioral studies of embryonic rats that developed in microgravity suggest that the vestibular sensory system, like the visual system, has genetically mediated processes of development that establish crude connections between the periphery and the brain. Environmental stimuli also regulate connection formation including terminal branch formation and fine-tuning of synaptic contacts. Axons of vestibular sensory neurons from gravistatic as well as linear acceleration receptors reach their targets in both microgravity and normal gravity, suggesting that this is a genetically regulated component of development. However, microgravity exposure delays the development of terminal branches and synapses in gravistatic but not linear acceleration-sensitive neurons and also produces behavioral changes. These latter changes reflect environmentally controlled processes of development.
Document ID
20040087686
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Ronca, A. E.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field CA United States)
Fritzsch, B.
Alberts, J. R.
Bruce, L. L.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 2000
Publication Information
Publication: Korean journal of biological sciences
Volume: 4
Issue: 3
ISSN: 1226-5071
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC2-870
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG2-1353
CONTRACT_GRANT: MH-28355
CONTRACT_GRANT: 2 P01 DC00215
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
manned
short duration
Non-NASA Center
Flight Experiment
Review
NASA Experiment Number 9303031 1/2
NASA Experiment Number 9303003
STS-66 Shuttle Project
Review, Tutorial
NASA Discipline Developmental Biology
STS-70 Shuttle Project
NASA Experiment Number 9303031 2/2

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