Abstract
The most susceptible physiological systems to weightlessness are the sensorimotor and neuro-vestibular system controlling balance, the cardiovascular system because of lack of hydrostatic pressures, and the musculoskeletal system caused by lack of gravitational body loading attenuating muscle strength and performance as well as bone strength. The immune system is known to be attenuated during spaceflight causing viral reactivations, but the influence of weightlessness may be limited albeit present. During the last decade of spaceflight, a syndrome now termed SANS, the Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (previously VIIP, Vision Impairment Intracranial Pressure), has attracted much attention, because it may have considerable health implications for long-duration flights. In addition, the ventilation and perfusion in the lungs are changed by weightlessness leading to more even distributions, and renal function is affected and adapted to a state of attenuated excretion rates of fluid and sodium, which is probably caused by a diminished plasma and blood volume. Human physiological research in space is being conducted to acquire fundamental knowledge on how gravity affects bodily functions, and to develop countermeasures against physiological effects of spaceflight that can lead to unacceptable decrements in health and performance.
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Norsk, P. (2021). Physiological Effects of Spaceflight – Weightlessness: An Overview. In: Young, L.R., Sutton, J.P. (eds) Handbook of Bioastronautics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12191-8_126
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12191-8_126
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