The effects of hypergravity on vestibular epithelia and behaviour of the rat.

NASA: Researchers examined the vestibules of rats and hamsters raised in a centrifuge to determine the histology of the peripheral sensory system, vestibule-induced ocular reflexes, and vestibular-controlled behavior. Actin and tubulin structures were compared in animals raised in hypergravity and normal gravity. Air righting and swimming also were compared.^ieng

Otoconia biogenesis, phylogeny, composition and functional attributes.

This work consolidates data about these interesting organic crystals of vertebrate inner ears. It addresses 5 aspects of inner ear otoliths not completely understood to date: 1) embryological data that explains the formation of the crystals, 2) the significance of the organic and the inorganic phase of the otolith and the changing patterns of otoconia formation along the evolutionary tree, 3) otoliths contribution for detecting linear acceleration, 4) the effect that altered gravity and aminoglycosides have on the development and adult shape of the crystals, and the evolutionary significance of a changing shape of the crystals from primitive forms (lamprey) to high vertebrate birds and mammals is discussed, 5) functional attributes of the otolithic organs and morphological modifications of the otoliths by physical and chemical insults are presented with an extensive discussion of the most relevant literature published and available to us.

Swimming behavior of fish during short periods of weightlessness.

BACKGROUND: Birds and fish show tumbling and spinning movements when subjected to short periods of weightlessness during parabolic flight. The reason for this behavior is not clear. HYPOTHESIS: The semicircular canal system is a rotation-detecting device; however, it seems that linear accelerations have an influence, too. Microgravity induces rotatory sensations which leads to a compensatory behavior (e.g., rotatory movements). METHODS: The swimming behavior of goldfish was studied with the fish in four different conditions: normal fish (group I); fish with one eye recently removed (group II); fish with both eyes recently removed (group III); and fish with both eyes removed 10 months previously (group IV). Further, a group of naturally blind (e.g., not surgically treated) cavefish (group V) were involved in the study also. All procedures conformed to the guiding principles as required in the Dutch Law on Care and Use of Animals. RESULTS: Three main different patterns of abnormal swimming behavior could be observed: tumbling (pitch), corkscrew movements (pitch and roll), and spinning movements (roll). NF did not shown any special swimming pattern. One-eyed fish (group II): mostly corkscrew movements (62%). Blind fish (group III): a mixture of the three movements (17, 22 and 25%). Blind fish (group IV): mostly spinning movements (20%). Cavefish (group V): tumbling (21%), corkscrew movements (12%) and spinning movements (58%). CONCLUSION: Vision is the dominant cue, explaining the behavior of normal goldfish. When vision is absent, the fish relies on vestibular information with respect to orientation. The swimming behavior is presumably caused by an attempt to compensate rotatory illusions. As all movements were shown in the planes of the vertical canals, we conclude that these canals play a dominant role when fish are deprived from proper otolith information.