[Morphological changes in the adrenal gland of Japanese quail chicken hatched out in microgravity].

The paper presents results of studying effects of spaceflight factors on the adrenal structure in Japanese quail hatchlings (Coturnix coturnix japonica) incubated and kept alive 4 to 5 days aboard the space station Mir. In comparison with the ground controls, cortical cells in the adrenals of space hatchlings contained copious fat drops, mitochondrias, and significantly dilated cisterns of the endoplasmic reticulum. Accumulation of fat drops evidences lowered cholesterol transformation and disturbed genesis of steroids.

[Morphological study of gastrocnemius muscle in Japanese quail chicks hatched out in space flight].

Slovak experiment Quail SK-6 aboard orbital station Mir in the period of February 20-27, 1999 resulted in hatching out of viable chicks of the Japanese quail. The paper presents morphologic results of investigation of m. gastrocnemius of the chicks after 4-5-d life in space microgravity.

[The embryonic development of birds in weightlessness].

During the period from March 4 through 24, 1990 an egg-to-egg cycle of quail incubation on the orbital station Mir was completed. Out of 35 eggs, that developed in space, 8 normal hatchlings emerged, 6 of which were able to get out of the egg-shell without any help. Subsequent observations showed that the hatchlings could not get adapted to the weightless environment or know to remain fixed to the wired floor, due to which they were unable to peck.