Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz: On astronauts in space

Astronauts orbiting in space feel a sense of weightlessness because there is no gravitational force in space pulling upon their bodies.

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The vestibular system, in vertebrates, is a sensory system that creates a sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of the inner ear in most mammals.

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There is a progressive loss of body weight and bone calcium during space flights. In outer space, bodily fluids are redistributed, with less in the lower extremities and more in the upper body; height increases; body mass usually, but not always, decreases with a loss of muscular tissue; the veins and arteries of the legs become weaker; and anaemia occurs, accompanied by a significant reduction in blood count.

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Samples taken before, during, and after Scott Kelly’s 340 days in space revealed some changes in gene expression (the process by which our DNA instructs body cells to make valuable components like proteins, which are used to build and repair tissue).

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The record for the longest spaceflight overall is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov — 437 days in the mid-1990s.

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