Plant cell development and aging may accelerate in microgravity

Abstract It is generally accepted that plants are irreplaceable components of Bioregenerative Life-Support Systems, as (BLSS) far as they are sources of oxygen and food for crew, and CO 2 absorbers. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms of plant adaptation to the spaceflight factors, in particular microgravity. An analysis of reported changes in the structural and functional organization of plant cells induced by real and simulated microgravity has shown the stimulation of cell development and aging, which are the part of integral, genetically determined processes of organism's ontogenesis. We would like to draw attention to this phenomenon that has fundamental peculiarities in plant development, especially in multicellular plants due to their modular form of growth. Clarification of the role of accelerating cell development and adaptive aging in plant survival in microgravity should be important for working out the effective technologies of space planting and obtaining high-quality food.