• Question: Do our cells respond to gravity? If so, how?

    Asked by jayneforeman to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 21 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Darren Braddick

      Darren Braddick answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi jayneforman

      Yes, all things respond to gravity in some way. Of course, the effect is greater upon bigger objects, but cells do respond to it! Our cells can respond in some ways that we can feel – for example you can feel very strange when you go upside down? I think that may be one way..

      If you consider bacterial cells, they are affected by gravity, and will tend to move downwards in the air. This is important in microbiology work, because we generally work in the air and have to protected our experiments from contamination in the air, particularly from air-borne viruses and bacteria. We do this by lighting small fires using bunsen burners (which basically connect some gas to a flame!) and this sterilises the area around our work, so that bacteria that fall by gravity will die and not ruin our work!

      I hope this answers your question some way, maybe another scientist has some ideas about human cells and gravity?

      Daz

    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi jayneforeman,

      I like Daz’s answer so much I’m not going to add anything else!

      Cat

    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Hi Jayneforeman,
      That is a great question. I am not sure I know the answer. What do you think? I tried to look it up but didn’t really find anything. I remember Prof Brian Cox (from BBC) talking about gravity working on our bodies. It is difficult to think about because we are always on the earth with constant gravity. obviously when people go to the moon they can jump high due to the low gravity but I think it would have an impact at a cellular level too. I think this would be particularly a problem if we were to go to a plant with higher gravity. The gravity would be pulling all our cells down and that would effect us. It would also pull all our blood down into our feet!
      So that’s what I think. What do you think? Do you agree with me?
      Hope that helps
      Pam 🙂

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