STUDY OF THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OF STATOCONIA IN THE ORGAN OF BALANCE OF GASTROPODS
IN WEIGHTLESSNESS (STATOKONIA)
Research Area: Space Biology and Biotechnology (zoology of invertebrates)
Expedition(s): 10- 15
Principal Investigator(s): ● Givi I. Gorgiladze, PhD, Institute of Medical and Biological
Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Study of the Growth Potential of Statoconia in the Organ of Balance of Gastropods in
Weightlessness (Statokonia) investigation evaluates the nature and dynamic of new formation
and the growth of statoconia when exposed to weightlessness.
SPACE BENEFITS
This knowledge both adds to our understanding of and underscores
the importance of the gravitational field in the structural
organization of the organ of balance. The fact established that the
test mass increased in the organ of balance in orbital flight must be
taken into consideration when developing a medical support
strategy for long-term manned spaceflight.RESULTS
The most significant results of the experiment: the discovery that
the test mass in the organ of balance depended on the extent of the
gravitational field; mass increased under conditions of weightlessness and decreased under
conditions of increased gravity. Furthermore, this phenomenon is of an adaptive nature,
appearing in the restoration of the normal picture during the readaptation period to the Earth’s
gravitational force. New information was obtained on the morphology, elemental composition,
and test mass ultrastructure in the organ of balance in the 2 types of gastropods. The
hypothesis was put forward that statoconia nuclei occur in the sensitive cells of the statocyst,
and then are imported into its cavity. The topography of the sensitive cells of the statocyst was
established. The information obtained on the structural organization of the organ of
balance/statocyst of H. lucorum and P. rivulare enable these objects to be used as models in
studies in the field of gravitational (space) biology.
PUBLICATION(S)
Bukiya RD, Gorgiladze GI, Taktakishvili AD, Kalandarishvili EL. Light and electron microscopy of
cellular components in statocysts of the land snail Helix lucorum. Bulletin of the Russian
Academy of Sciences: Biological series; 2010.
Gorgiladze GI, Bukiya RD, Davitashvili MT, et al. Morphological Peculiarities Statoconia in
Statocysts of Terrestrial Pulmonary Snail Helix Lucorum. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and
Medicine. July 17, 2010;149(2):269-272. doi: 10.1007/s10517- 010 -0924-1.
Ulitka container with the
cover removed and the
automatic temperature
recorder on Panel #406
in the ISS RS SM.
Roscosmos image