SLIDES BY:
RODRIGO RENE RAI MUNOZ ABUJDER
Plants in Space
WHAT ARE PLANTS?
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Plants:
Plants are living organisms with many different species including shrubs, herbs, trees, and flowers.
Most importantly, plants create oxygen for us to breathe and different types of food for us to eat!
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
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What is the function of…
Roots?
Leaves?
Fruit?
Roots take nutrients and water from soil and transport them to the plant to allow it to grow
Leaves perform photosynthesis, meaning they take light energy to create sugars
Fruits allow plants to spread their seeds and reproduce
WHAT DO PLANTS HAVE TO DO WITH SPACE?
Plants provide both food and oxygen.
This is especially critical for astronauts living in the space station a long durations and eventually life in space!
Currently, several plants such as Arabidopsis, rice seeds, red lettuce, cabbage have been grown.
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NASA Veggie System growing Red Lettuce
NASA European Modular Cultivation System
Video: Plants grown in space https://youtu.be/CN5PA3Mq-SE
WHAT DO WE OBSERVE ABOUT SPACE PLANTS?
Research on the space station has shown that microgravity has a weird effect on plants! Can you guess what these influences might be?
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So far, no studies have shown a difference in photosynthesis in space
Usually, plant roots grow downward into soil. In microgravity, they don’t know which way to grow!
In space, leaves tend to droop. This is called leaf epinasty.
Nutrient transport is disrupted in microgravity, and plants suffer from hypoxia: a lack of oxygen in the tissues
PLANT GROWTH IN SPACE
How do plants sense gravity?
Scientists think the tips of roots have special cells containing starch. The starch flows in the direction of gravity, providing a signal to the plant which direction is down
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Gravitropism: The behavior of plants where roots grow downwards and stems grow upwards
EXTERNAL EFFECTS ON PLANTS
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These external effects can make it difficult to separate out which behaviors of plants are due to microgravity
Plant Epinasty
Does microgravity cause leaves/stems to grow incorrectly? Or, does it occur because ethylene (a contaminant found in spacecraft) is elevated in space?
Nutrient Transport
Does microgravity cause lhypoxia? Or is difficult for plants to get nutrients because of how water behaves in space?
CLASS EXERCISE (20 MINS)
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MICOGRAVITY PLANT GROWTH
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A microgravity horticulture design to spray nutrients and water directly onto plant roots, and therefore eliminate problems with transport to the roots
Plants don’t need a pot in space, a plastic baggy is enough to contain their roots, water, and nutrients!
THE FUTURE OF PLANTS IN SPACE
Advanced Plant habitat, largest plant chamber made, which will be sent to the ISS in 2018
NASA Future Martian space farm, These photos are showing future designs of building a space farm on Mars
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REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
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SOME EXAMPLES
Conceptual Design of Autonomous Germination Habitat
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ARABIDOPSIS PLANT GERMINATION/PLANT GROWTH
Camera
Images
Light
Absorbed by
Plants
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