Jakarta –
Outer space is a foreign place for the human body. The impact of space travel on health poses a major challenge for humanity’s future in space.
Outside Earth, astronauts can lose bones and muscles when exposed to radiation, which can potentially cause cancer. Because they plan to make longer journeys, biologists need to be prepared to keep the astronauts safe on these long journeys.
To make this dream come true, experts are trying to study how space changes the human body. Swedish biologists ultimately used experiments on Earth to simulate what happens to the human immune system in microgravity.
The Impact of Space on the Human Body
The immune system is an important system in the human body that protects against bacteria and viruses. If astronauts’ immune systems are damaged by the conditions of space, they may be unable to fight infections when they return to Earth.
To study this on Earth, volunteer test subjects lived in space-like conditions for 21 days. Floating in what is called a “dry soak”.
The researchers analyzed the participants’ blood and found that the genes in their T cells, a type of white blood cell that fights germs, had changed in a way that made them less effective at protecting against pathogens.
“T cells significantly changed their gene expression, namely, which genes were active and which were not after seven and 14 days of weightlessness,” said co-author Lisa Westerberg, an immunologist from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet in Pop Science.
“The T cells begin to resemble so-called naive T cells, which have never encountered invaders. This could mean that the drugs become less effective in fighting tumor cells and infections.” he continued.
However, after returning to normal gravity, some cell changes returned to normal. This shows that the human body has the potential to re-adapt after they return to Earth.
Researchers still need to find out what the bodies of astronauts who will make the long and dangerous journey to Mars will be like for years. Such as the impact on their genes and immune system.
Comparative Results of Humans on Earth and Space
This is not the first time scientists have noticed changes in DNA due to space travel. NASA’s famous “Twin Study,” in which astronaut Scott Kelly lived on the International Space Station while his twin brother Mark Kelly remained on Earth, revealed that 1 year in space affects and sometimes damages genes.
It is known that outer space can also damage blood cells and bone marrow. Destroying it to the point that astronauts can experience what is called “space anemia.”
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(nir/nwk)
2023-09-11 12:00:00
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