Biological experiments on the orbital station Salyut 4.

Two series of experiments were carried out on the orbital station Salyut 4: one series consisted of two experiments (30 and 62 days respectively) designed to study the effect of space-flight factors on the growth and development of Drosophila melanogaster, strain D-32, and the second series consisted of two experiments (24-33 days) designed to study the effect of space-flight factors on the growth and development of the dwarf pea, variety "Pioneer". Analysis of the progeny from flies exposed to space flight showed an increase in the rate of visible mutations for y, ct, w and vg loci over those observed in the earth control. Space flight factors produced no noticeable effect on the first growth stages of pea plants.

Biological investigations of higher and lower plants aboard Soyuz 19.

Biological investigations carried out aboard Soyuz 19 consisted of three independent complex experiments. All biological materials aboard the spacecraft were kept in "Biocat" thermostats which maintained the required temperature. The objective of the experiment "Genetic investigations" was to determine the effect of space flight factors on the heredity of lower (Chlamydomonas reinhardi Dang) and higher (Crepis capillaris (L) Wallr and Arabidopsis thaliana (L) Heynh) plants, and on the radiosensitivity of plant seeds and the radiation effect of prior gamma-irradiation.

The development of seedling shoots under space flight conditions.

The assumption that gravity is the major factor in the process of formation of plant polar axis was used as a working basis for the experiment. It was hypothesized by Merkys in 1973 that the effect of gravity related to axial polarity is similar to the process which determines the lateral polarity of shoots under the influence of gravity. There are two possibilities: (i) the development and morphogenesis of shoots takes place directly under the influence of gravity, or (ii) this process, at least during the first growth phases, is determined in the course of the germ development in the seed.