Why does the height of astronauts increase in space?
Want to be a little taller? Spend a few months in space, and your wish will be temporarily fulfilled. How is that possible? Yes, it is possible. Did you know that space travel increases the height of astronauts by an average of two inches? According to scientists, astronauts who live on the International Space Station increase their body height by three percent. Surely, you will ask - why does this happen?
Microgravity is the main reason for the growth of astronauts. Is microgravity a special magic or not? No, microgravity is not magic. Rather, it is the weightlessness of astronauts in space.
The spine keeps the human body upright. And the spine is a collection of different vertebrae. Let's say, the vertebrae of our spine are like strong springs. When pressure is applied, they contract. And when the pressure is removed, they expand. Just like that human spine expands when travels in space. On Earth, the effect of gravity is more on people. And in space, the force of gravity decreases many times.
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In the same way at night, our spine expands slightly. When we lie down, gravity cannot act on our vertebrae. You can also check using a stick to be sure. Measure the length using the stick while you are lying down. Now compare it with your actual height. Have you grown a centimeter or two? Astronauts are also slightly taller. During standing, human vertebrae are subjected to gravitational stress. But at night, when lying down, gravity cannot act on the spine. That's why it happens.
According to Johnsen space center researcher Dr. Sudhakar Rajulu, two theories explain why the spine expands in space. According to the first theory, extension occurs only in the spine. It has no effect on other parts of the body ( legs, arms ). Because other bones of the body are not as compressible as the vertebrae of our spine. However, the normal curvature of the spine does not remain in space, it becomes fairly straight. Since there is no gravity in space, laxity prevails in the spin.
According to the second theory, the vertebral discs of the spine are pressed together due to gravity. This compression occurs as pressure acts downward through the spine. When the gravitational pressure in space decreases, these discs can hold more spinal fluid. This creates a distance between each vertebra.
According to a study, this change in height occurs two times. The first change occurs as soon as the spacecraft reaches Earth's orbit. Most of the spinal cord expansion occurs during this time. The rest of the expansion takes place gradually at a later stage. But this expansion did not continue. Once off goes If the astronaut stayed in space forever, he would not grow. Currently, astronauts use ultrasound devices to scan the back of their bodies. Through this, researchers observe the spine of an astronaut who has spent 30, 90, or 120 days in space. The ultrasound device is a special type of device, which can monitor the normal movement, muscle circulation, and other activities of our body. Researchers are sitting on Earth analyzing images of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine sent by ultrasound devices.
"However, the interesting thing is that when the astronauts return to Earth, they retain their previous height within ten days"
However, this addition of astronauts does not cause any problems. Because space suits or dresses are used for astronauts, have enough space for internal expansion. Data on this unusual outcome of the human spine in space was first collected from the Skylab mission. This research was done on six astronauts about twenty years ago. They each increase by 3%. But interestingly, astronauts back to their previous height within ten days when they return to Earth.
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