Now Reading: Jellyfish sent into space struggled to swim on return
-
01
Jellyfish sent into space struggled to swim on return
In 1991, NASA flew Aurelia jellyfish polyps aboard the space shuttle Columbia on the SLS-1 mission to study how microgravity affects balance. The polyps were induced to develop into juvenile ephyrae while…
The Story in Brief
In 1991, NASA flew Aurelia jellyfish polyps aboard the space shuttle Columbia on the SLS-1 mission to study how microgravity affects balance. The polyps were induced to develop into juvenile ephyrae while in orbit. Though the space-grown jellyfish formed normal gravity-sensing organs called rhopalia, many struggled to swim properly after returning to Earth. Researchers observed incomplete pulses, muscle spasms, and uncoordinated arm movements. The findings suggested that developing under gravity is necessary for organisms to calibrate their vestibular system, even if the physical structures appear intact.
The Indian Opinion
Some have seized on this 1991 NASA experiment to argue that space travel permanently damages balance, ignoring that the jellyfish developed normal organs. Others dismiss it as irrelevant because jellyfish are not humans. Both miss the point: the experiment showed that sensory systems need gravitational calibration during development, not just anatomical building. The real test will come when astronauts born or raised in microgravity, should they ever exist, return to Earth. Will their inner ears cope as poorly as those ephyrae?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
