The human body in space: the metamorphic journey

Abstract

En aquesta tesi s’avaluen els possibles riscos i danys que han patit i poden patir diferents sistemes i òrgans. La microgravetat i la radiació són els principals factors que fan que els viatges espacials siguin molt perillosos per al cos humà. La gravetat guia el sistema vestibular, manté la formació i destrucció òssia en l’homeòstasi i s’assegura que se sintetitza i descompon la mateixa quantitat de proteïna, entre altres funcions que es discuteixen amb més detall al llarg del document. Per tant, la seva gairebé absència pot produir danys greus. D'altra banda, la quantitat de radiació que els astronautes s'exposen augmenta d’ençà que es troben a la Terra, a l’ISS i fora del camp magnètic. Aquest últim és especialment perillós perquè pot danyar l’ADN de la cèl·lula i provocar malalties com el càncer. Els sistemes i òrgans tractats a la tesi són el sistema vestibular, els ossos i els músculs, el sistema immunitari, el sistema cardiovascular i el cicle son / vigília i el ritme circadiari. L’objectiu és, en definitiva, determinar la viabilitat de sobreviure a un llarg vol espacial, concretament a un viatge de sis anys, per estudiar l’impacte que la investigació espacial ha tingut sobre la medicina terrestre i descobrir si alguns dispositius es poden utilitzar per tractar i prevenir malalties en els astronautes. La investigació sobre els efectes que té l’espai en el cos humà mostra que un vol espacial llarg (sis anys) posaria en perill la nostra vida a causa principalment de l’alta exposició a la radiació. Aquest treball de recerca també demostra que hi ha hagut un impacte en la medicina terrestre produït per la investigació espacial. Finalment, el marc pràctic de la tesi ha confirmat que alguns dispositius poden ajudar a prevenir alguns símptomes de malalties en els astronautes.

The potential risks and harm that different systems and organs have gone through and could go through when travelling through space are assessed in this thesis. Microgravity and radiation are the main factors that make space travelling very dangerous to the human body. Gravity guides the vestibular system, keeps bone formation and bone destruction in homeostasis and makes sure the same amount of protein is being synthesised and broken down, amongst other roles that are discussed in more detail throughout the paper. The almost absence of it can therefore produce severe damage. On the other hand, the amount of radiation astronauts get exposed to increases from when they are on Earth, in the ISS, and outside the magnetic field. The latter is especially dangerous because it can cause the cell’s DNA to get damaged and can lead to diseases like cancer. The systems and organs discussed in the thesis are the vestibular system, the bones and muscles, the immune system, the cardiovascular system and the sleep/wake cycle and circadian rhythm. The objective ultimately is to determine the viability of surviving a long spaceflight, specifically a six-year journey, to study the impact that space research has had on terrestrial medicine and to test whether some devices could be used to treat and prevent diseases on astronauts. The research on the effects that space has on the human body shows that a long spaceflight (six years) would be life-threatening due to mainly the high radiation exposure. This paper also shows that there has been an impact on terrestrial medicine made by space research. Finally, the practical framework of the thesis has confirmed that some devices can help prevent some disease symptoms on astronauts.

The potential risks and harm that different systems and organs have gone through and could go through when travelling through space are assessed in this thesis. Microgravity and radiation are the main factors that make space travelling very dangerous to the human body. Gravity guides the vestibular system, keeps bone formation and bone destruction in homeostasis and makes sure the same amount of protein is being synthesised and broken down, amongst other roles that are discussed in more detail throughout the paper. The almost absence of it can therefore produce severe damage. On the other hand, the amount of radiation astronauts get exposed to increases from when they are on Earth, in the ISS, and outside the magnetic field. The latter is especially dangerous because it can cause the cell’s DNA to get damaged and can lead to diseases like cancer. The systems and organs discussed in the thesis are the vestibular system, the bones and muscles, the immune system, the cardiovascular system and the sleep/wake cycle and circadian rhythm. The objective ultimately is to determine the viability of surviving a long spaceflight, specifically a six-year journey, to study the impact that space research has had on terrestrial medicine and to test whether some devices could be used to treat and prevent diseases on astronauts. The research on the effects that space has on the human body shows that a long spaceflight (six years) would be life-threatening due to mainly the high radiation exposure. This paper also shows that there has been an impact on terrestrial medicine made by space research. Finally, the practical framework of the thesis has confirmed that some devices can help prevent some disease symptoms on astronauts.