The role of biology in space research presentation. Space biology

The science of biology includes a lot of different sections, large and small daughter sciences. And each of them is important not only in human life, but also for the entire planet as a whole.

For the second century in a row, people have been trying to study not only the earthly variety of life in all its manifestations, but also to find out if there is life outside the planet, in space. These issues are dealt with by a special science - space biology. It will be discussed in our review.

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This science is relatively young, but very rapidly developing. The main aspects of the study are:

Space factors and their influence on the organisms of living beings, the vital activity of all living systems in space or aircraft.
The development of life on our planet with the participation of space, the evolution of living systems and the likelihood of the existence of biomass outside our planet.
Possibilities of building closed systems and creating real living conditions in them for the comfortable development and growth of organisms in outer space.

Space medicine and biology are closely related sciences, jointly studying the physiological state of living things in space, their prevalence in interplanetary spaces and evolution.

Thanks to the research of these sciences, it became possible to select the optimal conditions for finding people in space, and without causing any harm to health. A huge amount of material has been collected on the presence of life in space, the possibilities of plants and animals (unicellular, multicellular) to live and develop in zero gravity.

History of the development of science

The roots of space biology go back to ancient times, when philosophers and thinkers - natural scientists Aristotle, Heraclitus, Plato and others - observed the starry sky, trying to reveal the relationship of the Moon and the Sun with the Earth, to understand the reasons for their influence on agricultural land and animals.

Later, in the Middle Ages, attempts began to determine the shape of the Earth and explain its rotation. For a long time, the theory created by Ptolemy was heard. She said that the Earth is and all other planets and celestial bodies move around her

However, there was another scientist, the Pole Nicolaus Copernicus, who proved the erroneousness of these statements and proposed his own, heliocentric system of the structure of the world: in the center is the Sun, and all the planets move around. In this case, the Sun is also a star. His views were supported by the followers of Giordano Bruno, Newton, Kepler, Galileo.

However, it was space biology as a science that appeared much later. Only in the 20th century did the Russian scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky develop a system that allows people to penetrate into cosmic depths and slowly study them. He is rightfully considered the father of this science. Also, discoveries in physics and astrophysics, quantum chemistry and mechanics of Einstein, Bohr, Planck, Landau, Fermi, Kapitsa, Bogolyubov and others played a large role in the development of cosmobiology.

New scientific research, which allowed people to make the long-planned missions into space, made it possible to single out specific medical and biological justifications for the safety and influence of extraterrestrial conditions, which were formulated by Tsiolkovsky. What was their essence?

Scientists have provided a theoretical substantiation of the effect of weightlessness on mammalian organisms.
He modeled several options for creating space conditions in the laboratory.
He proposed options for astronauts to obtain food and water using plants and the cycle of substances.

Thus, it was Tsiolkovsky who laid down all the basic postulates of cosmonautics, which have not lost their relevance today.

Weightlessness

Modern biological research in the field of studying the influence of dynamic factors on the human body in space allows the cosmonauts to get rid of the negative influence of these very factors to the maximum.

There are three main dynamic characteristics:

vibration;
acceleration;
weightlessness.

The most unusual and important effect on the human body is precisely weightlessness. This is a state in which the force of gravity disappears and it is not replaced by other inertial influences. In this case, a person completely loses the ability to control the position of the body in space. This state begins already in the lower layers of space and persists throughout its space.

Biomedical studies have shown that in the state of weightlessness the following changes occur in the human body:

Heartbeat increases.
Muscles relax (tone goes away).
Decreased efficiency.
Spatial hallucinations are possible.

A person in zero gravity is able to stay up to 86 days without harm to health. This has been proven empirically and medically proven. However, one of the tasks of space biology and medicine today is the development of a set of measures to prevent the influence of weightlessness on the human body in general, eliminate fatigue, increase and consolidate normal performance.

There are a number of conditions that astronauts observe in order to overcome weightlessness and maintain control over the body:

In order to achieve good results in overcoming weightlessness, astronauts undergo thorough training on Earth. But, unfortunately, so far modern ones do not allow creating such conditions in the laboratory. It is not possible to overcome the force of gravity on our planet. It is also one of the challenges for the future for space and medical biology.

G-forces in space (acceleration)

Another important factor affecting the human body in space is acceleration, or overload. The essence of these factors is reduced to uneven redistribution of the load on the body during strong high-speed movements in space. There are two main types of acceleration:

short-term;
long-term.

As shown by biomedical research, both acceleration is very important in influencing the physiological state of the astronaut's organism.

So, for example, under the action of short-term accelerations (they last less than 1 second), irreversible changes in the body can occur at the molecular level. Also, if the organs are not trained, are weak enough, there is a risk of rupture of their membranes. Such influences can be carried out during the separation of the capsule with the astronaut in space, during his ejection or during the landing of the spacecraft in orbits.

Therefore, it is very important that astronauts undergo a thorough medical examination and some physical training before going into space.

Long-term acceleration occurs during the launch and landing of a rocket, as well as during flight in some spatial locations in space. The effect of such accelerations on the body, according to the data provided by scientific medical research, is as follows:

heart rate and pulse increase;
breathing quickens;
there is the occurrence of nausea and weakness, pallor of the skin;
vision suffers, a red or black film appears before the eyes;
possibly a feeling of pain in the joints, limbs;
muscle tone falls;
neuro-humoral regulation changes;
gas exchange in the lungs and in the body as a whole becomes different;
sweating is possible.

G-forces and zero gravity force medical scientists to come up with different ways. allowing to adapt, train astronauts so that they can withstand the action of these factors without health consequences and without loss of performance.

One of the most effective ways to train astronauts for acceleration is a centrifuge apparatus. It is in it that you can observe all the changes that occur in the body under the action of overloads. It also allows you to train and adapt to the influence of this factor.

Space flight and medicine

Space flights, of course, have a very large impact on the health of people, especially untrained people or those with chronic diseases. Therefore, an important aspect is medical research of all the subtleties of flight, of all reactions of the body to the most diverse and incredible effects of extraterrestrial forces.

Zero gravity flight forces modern medicine and biology to come up with and formulate (at the same time, implement, of course) a set of measures to provide astronauts with normal nutrition, rest, oxygen supply, preservation of working capacity, and so on.

In addition, medicine is designed to provide astronauts with worthy help in case of unforeseen, emergency situations, as well as protection from the effects of unknown forces of other planets and spaces. It is quite difficult, requires a lot of time and effort, a large theoretical base, the use of only the latest modern equipment and drugs.

In addition, medicine, along with physics and biology, has as its task to protect astronauts from the physical factors of space conditions, such as:

temperature;
radiation;
pressure;
meteorites.

Therefore, the study of all these factors and characteristics is very important.

in biology

Space biology, like any other biological science, possesses a certain set of methods that make it possible to conduct research, accumulate theoretical material and confirm it with practical conclusions. These methods do not remain unchanged over time, they are updated and modernized in accordance with the current time. However, the historically established methods of biology still remain relevant to this day. These include:

Observation.
Experiment.
Historical analysis.
Description.
Comparison.

These methods of biological research are basic, relevant at any time. But there are a number of others that have arisen with the development of science and technology, electronic physics and molecular biology. They are called modern and play the greatest role in the study of all biological, chemical, medical and physiological processes.

Modern methods

Genetic engineering and bioinformatics methods. This includes agrobacterial and ballistic transformation, PCR (polymerase chain reactions). The role of biological research of this kind is great, since it is they that make it possible to find options for solving the problem of nutrition and oxygen saturation and cabins for a comfortable state of astronauts.
Protein chemistry and histochemistry methods... Allows you to control proteins and enzymes in living systems.
Using fluorescence microscopy, superresolution microscopy.
Uses of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and their research methods.
Biotelemetry- a method that is the result of a combination of the work of engineers and doctors on a biological basis. It allows you to control all physiologically important functions of the body at a distance using radio communication channels of the human body and a computer recorder. Space biology uses this method as the primary method for tracking the effects of space conditions on astronauts.
Biological indication of interplanetary space... A very important method of space biology, which makes it possible to assess the interplanetary states of the environment, to obtain information about the characteristics of different planets. The basis here is the use of animals with integrated sensors. It is the experimental animals (mice, dogs, monkeys) that extract information from orbits, which is used by earth scientists for analysis and conclusions.

Modern methods of biological research make it possible to solve advanced problems not only in space biology, but also in universal ones.

Space biology problems

Unfortunately, all of the listed methods of biomedical research have not yet been able to solve all the problems of space biology. There are a number of burning issues that remain urgent to this day. Let's consider the main problems faced by space medicine and biology.

Selection of trained personnel for space flight, the state of health of which would be able to meet all the requirements of physicians (including allowing the astronauts to withstand rigorous training and training for flights).
Decent level of training and supply of all necessary work space crews.
Ensuring safety in all respects (including from unexplored or foreign factors of influence from other planets) to working ships and aircraft structures.
Psychophysiological rehabilitation of astronauts on their return to Earth.
Development of ways to protect astronauts and
Ensuring normal living conditions in the cockpits during space flights.
Development and application of modernized computer technologies in space medicine.
Implementation of space telemedicine and biotechnology. Using the methods of these sciences.
Solution of medical and biological problems for comfortable flights of astronauts to Mars and other planets.
Synthesis of pharmacological agents that will solve the problem of oxygen supply in space.

Developed, improved and complex in application methods of biomedical research will certainly allow solving all the tasks and existing problems. However, when it will be is a difficult and rather unpredictable question.

It should be noted that not only Russian scientists, but also the Academic Council of all countries of the world are engaged in the solution of all these issues. And this is a big plus. After all, joint research and searches will give incomparably greater and faster positive results. Close world cooperation in solving space problems is the key to success in the exploration of extraterrestrial space.

Modern achievements

There are many such achievements. After all, intensive work is carried out every day, thorough and painstaking, which allows us to find more and more new materials, draw conclusions and formulate hypotheses.

One of the most important discoveries of the 21st century in cosmology was the discovery of water on Mars. This immediately gave rise to the birth of dozens of hypotheses about the presence or absence of life on the planet, about the possibility of resettlement of earthlings to Mars, and so on.

Another discovery was that scientists have determined the age range within which a person can be as comfortable as possible and without serious consequences can be in space. This age starts from 45 years and ends approximately 55-60 years. Young people going into space suffer tremendously psychologically and physiologically upon their return to Earth; they are hard to adapt and rebuild.

Water was also found on the Moon (2009). Mercury and a large amount of silver were also found on the Earth's satellite.

The methods of biological research, as well as engineering and physical indicators, allow us to confidently conclude that the effects of ion radiation and irradiation in space are harmless (at least not more harmful than on Earth).

Scientific research has proven that a long stay in space does not leave an imprint on the physical health of astronauts. However, the problems remain psychologically.

Studies have been carried out proving that higher plants react differently to being in outer space. The seeds of some plants did not show any genetic changes during the study. Others, on the other hand, showed clear deformations at the molecular level.

Experiments carried out on the cells and tissues of living organisms (mammals) have proved that space does not affect the normal state and functioning of these organs.

Various types of medical research (tomography, MRI, blood and urine tests, cardiogram, computed tomography, and so on) made it possible to conclude that the physiological, biochemical, morphological characteristics of human cells remain unchanged when in space for up to 86 days.

In laboratory conditions, an artificial system was recreated, which allows one to get as close as possible to the state of weightlessness and thus study all aspects of the influence of this state on the body. This made it possible, in turn, to develop a number of preventive measures to prevent the effect of this factor during a person's flight in zero gravity.

The results of exobiology were data indicating the presence of organic systems outside the Earth's biosphere. So far, only a theoretical formulation of these assumptions has become possible, but soon scientists plan to obtain practical evidence.

Thanks to the research of biologists, physicists, physicians, ecologists and chemists, the deep mechanisms of human influence on the biosphere have been revealed. It became possible to achieve this by creating artificial ecosystems outside the planet and exerting the same influence on them as on Earth.

These are not all the achievements of space biology, cosmology and medicine today, but only the main ones. There is a great potential, the realization of which is the task of the listed sciences for the future.

Life in space

According to modern concepts, life in space can exist, since recent discoveries confirm the existence on some planets of suitable conditions for the emergence and development of life. However, the opinions of scientists on this issue are divided into two categories:

there is no life anywhere but the Earth, there has never been and never will be;
life exists in the vast expanses of outer space, but people have not yet discovered it.

Which of the hypotheses is correct is up to everyone personally. There is enough evidence and refutation for one and the other.

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Experiments on the Soviet biosatellite "Kosmos-110" with two dogs on board and on the American biosatellite "Bios-3" with a monkey on board were important for the further development of the ecophysiological direction of research. During the 22-day flight, the dogs were for the first time exposed not only to the influence of inevitably inherent factors, but also to a number of special influences (irritation of the sinus nerve by electric current, clamping of the carotid arteries, etc.), aimed at elucidating the features of the nervous regulation of blood circulation in zero gravity. Blood pressure in animals was recorded in a direct way. During the flight of the monkey on the biosatellite "Bios-3", which lasted 8.5 days, serious changes in the cycles of sleep and wakefulness were discovered (fragmentation of states of consciousness, rapid transitions from sleepiness to wakefulness, a noticeable reduction in sleep phases associated with dreams and deep drowsiness) , as well as a violation of the daily rhythm of some physiological processes. The death of the animal that followed shortly after the early termination of the flight was, according to some experts, due to the influence of weightlessness, which led to a redistribution of blood in the body, loss of fluid and disruption of potassium and sodium metabolism.

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Research in space biology made it possible to develop a number of protective measures and prepared the possibility of a safe flight into human space, which was carried out by flights of Soviet and then American ships with people on board. The significance of space biology is not limited to this. Research in this area will continue to be especially needed to solve a number of issues, in particular, for biological exploration of new space routes. This will require the development of new methods of biotelemetry (a method for remote research of biological phenomena and measurement of biological indicators), the creation of implantable devices for small telemetry (a set of technologies that allows remote measurements and collection of information to be provided to the operator or user), the conversion of various types of energy arising in the body into the electrical energy necessary to power such devices, new methods of information "compression", etc. Space biology will also play an extremely important role in the development of biocomplexes, or closed ecological systems with autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, necessary for long-term flights.

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Presentation on the topic: The role of biology in space research

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The role of biology in space research To understand the role of biology in space research, we must turn to space biology. Space biology is a complex of predominantly biological sciences that study: 1) the features of the life of terrestrial organisms in space and during flights on spacecraft 2) principles construction of biological systems to support the life of crew members of spaceships and stations 3) extraterrestrial life forms.

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Space biology is a synthetic science that has brought together the achievements of various branches of biology, aviation medicine, astronomy, geophysics, radio electronics, and many other sciences, and has created its own research methods on their basis. Work in space biology is being carried out on various types of living organisms, from viruses to mammals.

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The primary task of space biology is to study the influence of space flight factors (acceleration, vibration, weightlessness, altered gaseous medium, limited mobility and complete isolation in closed sealed volumes, etc.) and outer space (vacuum, radiation, reduced magnetic field strength, etc.) ... Research in space biology is carried out in laboratory experiments, to one degree or another reproducing the influence of individual factors of space flight and outer space. However, the most essential are flight biological experiments, during which it is possible to study the effect of a complex of unusual environmental factors on a living organism.

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Guinea pigs, mice, dogs, higher plants and algae (chlorella), various microorganisms, plant seeds, isolated human and rabbit tissue cultures and other biological objects were sent on flight on artificial earth satellites and spacecraft.

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In the areas of entry into orbit, animals showed an acceleration of the increase in pulse and respiration, which gradually disappeared after the spacecraft transitioned to orbital flight. The most important direct effect of acceleration is changes in pulmonary ventilation and redistribution of blood in the vascular system, including the small circle, as well as changes in the reflex regulation of blood circulation. The normalization of the pulse after the action of accelerations in zero gravity occurs much more slowly than after tests in a centrifuge under the conditions of the Earth. Both average and absolute values of the pulse rate in weightlessness were lower than in the corresponding modeling experiments on Earth, and were characterized by pronounced fluctuations. Analysis of the dogs' motor activity showed a fairly rapid adaptation to unusual weightlessness conditions and the restoration of the ability to coordinate movements. The same results were obtained in experiments on monkeys. Studies of conditioned reflexes in rats and guinea pigs after their return from space flight have shown no changes in comparison with pre-flight experiments.

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Experiments on the Soviet biosatellite Kosmos-110 with two dogs on board and on the American biosatellite Bios-3 with a monkey on board were important for the further development of the ecophysiological direction of research. inevitably inherent factors, but also a number of special influences (irritation of the sinus nerve by electric current, compression of the carotid arteries, etc.), aimed at elucidating the features of the nervous regulation of blood circulation in zero gravity. Blood pressure in animals was recorded in a direct way. During the flight of the monkey on the biosatellite "Bios-3", which lasted 8.5 days, serious changes in the cycles of sleep and wakefulness were discovered (fragmentation of states of consciousness, rapid transitions from sleepiness to wakefulness, a noticeable reduction in sleep phases associated with dreams and deep drowsiness) , as well as a violation of the daily rhythm of some physiological processes. The death of the animal that followed shortly after the early termination of the flight was, according to some experts, due to the influence of weightlessness, which led to a redistribution of blood in the body, loss of fluid and disruption of potassium and sodium metabolism.

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Genetic studies carried out in orbiting space flights have shown that being in outer space has a stimulating effect on dry onion and nigella seeds. Acceleration of cell division was found on seedlings of peas, corn, and wheat. In the culture of the radiation-resistant race of actinomycetes (bacteria), there were 6 times more surviving spores and developing colonies, while in the radiation-sensitive strain (a pure culture of viruses, bacteria, other microorganisms or a cell culture isolated at a certain time and in a certain place) there was a decrease in the corresponding indicators by 12 times. Post-flight studies and analysis of the information obtained showed that long-term space flight is accompanied in highly organized mammals by the development of detraining of the cardiovascular system, impaired water-salt metabolism, in particular, a significant decrease in the calcium content in bones.

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As a result of biological research carried out on high-altitude and ballistic missiles, satellites, KKS and other spacecraft, it has been established that a person can live and work in space flight for a relatively long time. It has been shown that weightlessness reduces the body's tolerance of physical activity and makes it difficult to readaptate to the conditions of normal (terrestrial) gravity. An important result of biological research in space is the establishment of the fact that weightlessness has no mutagenic activity, at least with respect to gene and chromosomal mutations. When preparing and conducting further ecophysiological and ecobiological studies in space flights, the main attention will be paid to the study of the effect of weightlessness on intracellular processes, the biological effects of heavy particles with a large charge, the daily rhythm of physiological and biological processes, and the combined effects of a number of space flight factors.

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The launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in 1957 and the further development of astronautics posed large and complex problems for various fields of science. New branches of knowledge have emerged. One of them - space biology.

Back in 1908, K.E. Tsiolkovsky expressed the idea that after the creation of an artificial Earth satellite capable of returning to Earth without damage, the next step would be to solve biological problems associated with ensuring the life of spacecraft crews. Indeed, before the first earthling - a citizen of the Soviet Union Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin - went on a space flight on the Vostok-1 spacecraft, extensive biomedical research was carried out on artificial earth satellites and spacecraft. Guinea pigs, mice, dogs, higher plants and algae (chlorella), various microorganisms, plant seeds, isolated human and rabbit tissue cultures and other biological objects were sent to them on a space flight. These experiments allowed scientists to conclude that life in space flight (at least not too long) is possible. This was the first important achievement of a new field of natural science - space biology.

Mice are tested in zero gravity.

What are the tasks of space biology? What is the subject of her research? What is the peculiarity of the methods that she uses? Let's answer the last question first. In addition to physiological, genetic, radiobiological, microbiological and other biological research methods, space biology makes extensive use of the achievements of physics, chemistry, astronomy, geophysics, radio electronics, and many other sciences.

The results of any measurements in flight must be transmitted via radio telemetry lines. Therefore, biological radiotelemetry (biotelemetry) is the main research method. It is also a means of control during experiments in outer space. The use of radio telemetry leaves a definite imprint on the methodology and technique of biological experiments. That which in ordinary terrestrial conditions can be quite easily taken into account or measured (for example, sowing cultures of microorganisms, taking a sample for analysis, fixing it, measuring the growth rate of plants or bacteria, determining the intensity of respiration, pulse rate, etc.), in space turns into a complex scientific and technical problem. Especially if the experiment is carried out on unmanned Earth satellites or spacecraft without a crew. In this case, all influences on the studied living object and all measured values must be transformed with the help of appropriate sensors and radio-technical devices into electrical signals that play a different role. Some of them can serve as a command for any kind of manipulation with plants, animals or other objects of study, while others carry information about the state of the object or process under study.

Thus, the methods of space biology are distinguished by a high degree of automation, are closely related to radio electronics and electrical engineering, with radio telemetry and computer technology. The researcher needs to know well all these technical means, and, in addition, he needs a deep knowledge of the mechanisms of various biological processes.

What are the challenges facing space biology? The most important of them are three: 1. Study of the influence of the conditions of flight into space and the factors of outer space on the living organisms of the Earth. 2. Investigation of the biological foundations of ensuring life in space flights, on extraterrestrial and planetary stations. 3. Searches for living matter and organic substances in world space and the study of the characteristics and forms of extraterrestrial life. Let's talk about each of them.