Humans aren’t built for space, in fact no organism we know of really fares too well up there and a new study with mice highlights just how deteriorating time spent in the back can be. NASA took mice to the international space station for 37 days and afterwards took a deep look at their bones.
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00:00Humans aren't built for space.
00:05In fact, no organism we know of really fares too well up there.
00:08And now a new study with mice highlights just how deteriorating time spent in the black
00:12can be.
00:13NASA took mice to the International Space Station for 37 days, and afterwards took a
00:17deep look at their bones.
00:19After just over five weeks in microgravity, this was the result, with their bones developing
00:24large chasms within.
00:25The worst results were identified in the femurs, with those bones developing the most damage
00:30The lumbar spine, however, remained mostly solid.
00:33Experts say this discrepancy reveals that the spine still plays a critical role in mobility,
00:37even in apparent weightlessness.
00:39Indicating that mechanical stress is critical to maintain bone density, and the use-it-or-lose-it
00:43mantra applies.
00:45The researchers say this is in opposition to some previous theories, which pointed to
00:48the abundance of cosmic radiation, which constantly inundates astronauts in space, as the culprit
00:54for their myriad health issues.
00:55If that were the case with regards to bone density loss, the research would have shown
00:59a uniform loss across all bones.
01:02Astronauts are known to lose around 1% of bone density per month in space.