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Studies on the growth and indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid content of Zea mays seedlings grown in microgravityMeasurements were made of the fresh weight, dry weight, dry weight-fresh weight ratio, free and conjugated indole-3-acetic acid, and free and conjugated abscisic acid in seedlings of Zea mays grown in darkness in microgravity and on earth. Imbibition of the dry kernels was 17 h prior to launch. Growth was for 5 d at ambient orbiter temperature and at a chronic accelerational force of the order of 3 x 10(-5) times earth gravity. Weights and hormone content of the microgravity seedlings were, with minor exceptions, not statistically different from seedlings grown in normal gravity. The tissues of the shuttle-grown plants appeared normal and the seedlings differed only in the lack of orientation of roots and shoots. These findings, based upon 5 d of growth in microgravity, cannot be extrapolated to growth in microgravity for weeks, months, and years, as might occur on a space station. Nonetheless, it is encouraging, for prospects of bioregeneration of the atmosphere and food production in a space station, that no pronounced differences in the parameters measured were apparent during the 5 d of plant seedling growth in microgravity.
Document ID
20040090286
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Schulze, A.
(Michigan State University East Lansing 48824-1312)
Jensen, P. J.
Desrosiers, M.
Buta, J. G.
Bandurski, R. S.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Plant physiology
Volume: 100
ISSN: 0032-0889
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-97
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG10-0067
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG2-362
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
manned
NASA Program Flight
Flight Experiment
NASA Discipline Number 00-00
NASA Discipline Number 40-50
NASA Program Space Biology
Non-NASA Center
short duration
STS-34 Shuttle Project
NASA Discipline Plant Biology

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