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Roundworms have the right stuff - presented by Science@NASA.
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Humans have long been fascinated by the cosmos.
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Ancient cave paintings show that we've been thinking about space for much of the history of our species.
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The popularity of recent sci-fi movies suggests that the human mind just might be coming to grips with the harsh environment out there.
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The human body is another matter.
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When gravity is greatly reduced, as in space flight, we no longer use our muscles to resist the usual pull of a planetary mass,
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and without additional exercise, astronauts lose both bone and muscle.
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Additionally, studies have shown that other parts of the body change in space like the bend of the spine, the amount of blood in the body and eyesight.
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As we are now, prolonged voyages into outer space may be limited by our physical abilities,
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but a tiny new astronaut could provide much needed insight into the ways that our bodies behave in microgravity, the noble roundworm.
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It may come as a blow to the ego, but roundworms or Caenorhabditis elegans share a considerable amount of genetic material with humans.
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Enough, in fact, to make them good candidates for a new study designed to determine how low gravity environments effect astronauts.
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Roundworm, like fruit flies, are often used as models for larger organisms.
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This is because they're short lifespans allow for scientists to observe several generations of worms within a short period of time,
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yielding quicker results for studies.
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In a new investigation entitled "Alterations of C. elegans muscle fibers by microgravity", crew members of the International Space Station will grow two batches of worms,
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one in microgravity and one in a centrifuge, allowing the worms to experience simulated gravity.
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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, will be spearheading the investigation.
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"The astronauts will cultivate multiple generations of the organism, so we can examine the organisms in different states of development",
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says Atsushi Higashitani, principal investigator for the experiment with Tohoku University in Miyagi, Japan.
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"Our studies will help clarify how and why these changes to health take place in microgravity
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and determine if the adaptations to space are transmitted from one cell generation to another without changing the basic DNA of an organism."
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The results from the experiment could impact more people than just future astronauts.
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Understanding the molecular changes that potentially take place in microgravity could help researchers to develop treatments and therapies
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to counteract physical changes associated with aging and extended bed rest.
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The roundworm may be surprisingly important for the elderly and infirm population of Earth, as well as to the astronauts orbiting it.
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On April 14th, the space worms launched to the International Space Station on Space X's sixth resupply mission.
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For more news about roundworms and other unexpected space travelers, stay tuned to science.nasa.gov.