[en] The results of biological experiments conducted on specialized Soviet satellite missions from 1970 through 1979 are summarized. The primary areas of investigation included the effects of weightlessness and/or artificial gravity (1G) on the growth, development, and function of different organisms and tissues and on the radiosensitivity of rats. The experimental design is explained, stressing the importance of ground controls in satellite mockups and immediate postflight evaluation. The structural and functional changes which occur in rats during weightlessness are discussed and shown to be both reversible upon return to earth gravity and avoidable by centrifuge-induced artificial gravity. The negative effects observed in the artificial-gravity experiments are attributed to the small radius of the centrifuges used. No significant effects of weightlessness on radiosensitivity, intracellular processes, or overall embryogenesis were found, but (as expected) plant-cell shape and the embryonic growth of plant roots were affected. 42 references

[en] Published in summary form only

[en] Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) were exposed on the external surface of the Cosmos-2044 biosatellite. A total of six sets were exposed; Czechoslovak aluminophosphate TLDs of different thicknesses, CaSO₄:Dy Teflon pellets and newly developed CaSO₄:Dy in silicon rubber were used to establish depth absorbed doses behind thin shielding. It was found that tissue absorbed doses behind thin shielding reach values up to 10 Gy; extrapolated surface doses would be still higher. Results obtained with Czechoslovak TLDs are compared with the results of Soviet evaluation of TL aluminophosphate glasses. A good agreement was generally found. (author)

No abstract available

[en] Short communication

[en] Short communication

No abstract available

No abstract available

[en] The combined effect of weightlessness and ionizing radiation (24 hour exposure to C-137 at a total dose of 800 rad) was investigated morphologically on rats during the ''Cosmos-690'' flight, in synchronous experiments and on vivarium rats. Irradiation-induced lesions prevailed in both groups of rats. Comparative study of changes in flight and control rats showed that weightlessness and other space flight factors did not induce any new, previously unknown effects, as compared with the exposure on the Earth; they did not exert a significantly aggravating effect on the development of radiation-induced lesions

[en] The results are presented on the investigation of aminoacid metabolism in the skeletal muscles of rats after the flight on the Cosmos-690 biosatellite. It is demonstrated that a combined effect of 20.5 - day space flight and gamma-irradiation at doses of 220, 670 and 955 rad has reduced the content of a number of biologically important aminoacids and inhileited the activity of aspartate aminotransferase of sarcoplasmatic proteins