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American astronaut Marsha Ivins demonstrates the effects of microgravity on her hair in space. The effects of spaceflight on the human body are complex and largely harmful over both short and long term. [1] Significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness include muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton (spaceflight osteopenia). [2]
The responses of the human body to microgravity exposure during spaceflight involve adaptations at numerous levels. It is believed that skeletal muscle adaptations to microgravity, which affect both muscle mass and function, involve structural alterations in the neural as well as the myofibrillar components of skeletal muscle.
In the case of the Earth, the effects are minor, especially on objects of relatively small dimensions (such as the human body or a spacecraft) and the overall sensation of weightlessness in these cases is preserved. This condition is known as microgravity, and it prevails in orbiting spacecraft.
A study done by Fitts and Trappe examined the effects of prolonged space flight (defined as approximately 180 days) on human skeletal muscle using muscle biopsies. [12] Prolonged weightlessness was shown to cause significant loss in the mass, force, and power production in the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. [ 12 ]
The effects of microgravity can be seen in the human body, beginning with a shift upwards in fluid, called the cephalad fluid shift. This can also cause other muscle and bodily disorientation as well. [6] Microgravity is the condition of low gravity found in outer space.
However as microgravity has been shown to modulate cancer progression, more research is needed into the combined effects of microgravity and radiation on carcinogenesis. [8] The effects of changes in oxygen levels or in immune dysfunction on cancer risks are largely unknown and are of great concern during space flight. [6]
Effect of spaceflight on the human body – Medical issues associated with spaceflight; Human spaceflight – Spaceflight with a crew or passengers; Micro-g environment – Zero apparent weight, microgravity; Space medicine – For health conditions encountered during spaceflight
Of particular interest from a biological perspective are the effects of reduced gravitational force felt by inhabitants of spacecraft. Often referred to as " microgravity ", the lack of sedimentation, buoyancy, or convective flows in fluids results in a more quiescent cellular and intercellular environment primarily driven by chemical gradients.