9 replies to this topic

[Saru]

Scientists have determined that it is possible to grow plants in space despite the lack of gravity.

National Geographic said:

Since the flowers were orbiting some 220 miles (350 kilometers) above the Earth at the time, the NASA-funded experiment suggests that plants still retain an earthy instinct when they don't have gravity as a guide.

Read more...

[Taun]

I never thought that they might not...  Just thought that they would be a bit more "bushy"... as in growing in weird directions...

[Sundew]

Plants normally respond to light by growing leaves and branches toward it (phototropism) and to gravity by growing roots downward. Plant such as carrots planted in soil in low gravity might not be able to grow a taproot in the proper direction (it might grow sideways in a container), but those with fibrous roots will probably just fill the available soil with roots. As long as there is a light source they will grow toward it.

In tissue culture plant cells are kept from differentiating by constantly gentle agitation of the media, this keeps them from orienting towards gravity and allows cell multiplication for division into as many clones of the plant needed. It would be interesting to try tissue cultures in space and see if they would develop into plants or just stay as undifferentiated groups of plant cells, as opposed to seeds or cuttings.

If growing plants in low gravity was a problem, you could have a group of fluorescent tubes as a central hub and have the media for the plants in a drum rotating around that hub, using rotational force to approximate earth gravity, but it sounds like this is unnecessary.

[King Fluffs]

I remember my biology teacher telling me about something like this awhile back.

[brainiac]

So this is what I am thinking about, that maybe some of the UFO's flying out there is some kind of living parasite.

Edited by brainiac, 11 December 2012 - 08:43 PM.

[The New Richard Nixon]

brainiac, on 11 December 2012 - 08:42 PM, said:

So this is what I am thinking about, that maybe some of the UFO's flying out there is some kind of living parasite.

A parasite is not a plant, a parasite needs a host to survive.

[brainiac]

Nope both plant and parasite are living things. Some plant are parasite check the orchids. Parasite depend on others to survive, the UFOs why they visit us. I believe some UFOs are not piloted like drones or somekind of camouflaging living organisms.

[MidKn13ght]

I never would of thought this would of actually been an issue.... Carbonminoxide, Water, and light is all plants need well i though i could be wrong...lol What does gravity have to do with their growth? Now you dont need tie strings, or sticks to hold up the plant..... wonder how much funds where put into finding out this crucial information......

Edited by MidKn13ght, 12 December 2012 - 11:21 PM.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

MidKn13ght, on 12 December 2012 - 11:17 PM, said:

What does gravity have to do with their growth?

Quite a lot actually. With out gravity how does the seed know in which direction the roots should grow, or the shoots? If a plant were to try and open it's leaves whilst still underground, whilst it's roots were above ground it wouldn't survive very long.

[MidKn13ght]

Waspie_Dwarf, on 12 December 2012 - 11:31 PM, said:

Quite a lot actually. With out gravity how does the seed know in which direction the roots should grow, or the shoots? If a plant were to try and open it's leaves whilst still underground, whilst it's roots were above ground it wouldn't survive very long.

Tu'Shae my man ...Tu'Shae.....