Biomaterial Database

Biomedical aspects of artificial gravity. 1997

I F Vil-Viliams, and A R Kotovskaya, and A A Shipov

State Research Center of the Russian Federation, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow.

Artificial gravity (AG) is the basic challenge for space biology and medicine. The importance of this problem is associated with the fact that duration of the space missions will become progressively longer, but the presently available countermeasures do not provide reason enough to predict the human health safety during space missions of any duration. The creation of AG could be an efficient method for removing the negative effects of microgravity. Two principle methods of generating AG, rotation of space system (SS) and building of short arm centrifuge (SAC), have been proposed. The purpose of the present work is to review the biomedical aspects of AG in the context of its use in long-term space missions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002498	Centrifugation	Process of using a rotating machine to generate centrifugal force to separate substances of different densities, remove moisture, or simulate gravitational effects. It employs a large motor-driven apparatus with a long arm, at the end of which human and animal subjects, biological specimens, or equipment can be revolved and rotated at various speeds to study gravitational effects. (From Websters, 10th ed; McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
D003312	Coriolis Force	The apparent deflection (Coriolis acceleration) of a body in motion with respect to the earth, as seen by an observer on the earth, attributed to a fictitious force (Coriolis force) but actually caused by the rotation of the earth. In a medical context it refers to the physiological effects (nausea, vertigo, dizziness, etc.) felt by a person moving radially in a rotating system, as a rotating space station. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed & McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Coriolis Acceleration,Coriolis Effect,Coriolis Stimulation,Acceleration, Coriolis,Effect, Coriolis,Force, Coriolis,Stimulation, Coriolis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000337	Aerospace Medicine	That branch of medicine dealing with the studies and effects of flight through the atmosphere or in space upon the human body and with the prevention or cure of physiological or psychological malfunctions arising from these effects. (from NASA Thesaurus)	Aviation Medicine,Space Medicine,Medicine, Aerospace,Medicine, Aviation,Medicine, Space
D012399	Rotation	Motion of an object in which either one or more points on a line are fixed. It is also the motion of a particle about a fixed point. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Clinorotation,Clinorotations,Rotations
D013026	Space Flight	Travel beyond the earth's atmosphere.	Space Exploration,Space Travel,Spaceflight,Exploration, Space,Explorations, Space,Flight, Space,Flights, Space,Space Explorations,Space Flights,Space Travels,Spaceflights,Travel, Space,Travels, Space
D014893	Weightlessness	Condition in which no acceleration, whether due to gravity or any other force, can be detected by an observer within a system. It also means the absence of weight or the absence of the force of gravity acting on a body. Microgravity, gravitational force between 0 and 10 -6 g, is included here. (From NASA Thesaurus, 1988)	Microgravity,Zero Gravity,Gravity, Zero
D018470	Gravity, Altered	A change in, or manipulation of, gravitational force. This may be a natural or artificial effect.	Gravity, Artificial,Artificial Gravity
D018531	Spacecraft	Devices, manned and unmanned, which are designed to be placed into an orbit about the Earth or into a trajectory to another celestial body. (NASA Thesaurus, 1988)	Biosatellites,Launch Vehicle,Satellites, Artificial,Satellites, Man-Made,Space Capsule,Space Craft,Space Probe,Space Ship,Space Shuttle,Space Vehicles,Spaceship,Artificial Satellite,Artificial Satellites,Biosatellite,Capsule, Space,Capsules, Space,Launch Vehicles,Man-Made Satellite,Man-Made Satellites,Probe, Space,Probes, Space,Satellite, Artificial,Satellite, Man-Made,Satellites, Man Made,Shuttle, Space,Shuttles, Space,Space Capsules,Space Probes,Space Ships,Space Shuttles,Space Vehicle,Spacecrafts,Spaceships,Vehicle, Launch,Vehicles, Launch
D018544	Weightlessness Countermeasures	Techniques and routines designed to prevent or reverse unwanted effects of weightlessness experienced during actual and simulated space flight, including physiologic changes related to removal of gravitational loading. Specific measures include creation of artificial gravity, exercise, low-level lower body negative pressure, and use of anti-deconditioning devices. (From Nicogossian, Space Physiology and Medicine, 2d ed, pp294-297)	Countermeasures, Weightlessness,Countermeasure, Weightlessness,Weightlessness Countermeasure